Welcome to Saami Resources – a website about the contested ownership and use of Saami traditional lands and resources.
The Saami people are the Indigenous people of Sápmi, Saamiland, covering the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Penninsula of Russia.
Saami areas in Sweden are currently experiencing an explosion in mining and windpower development. There has been an increase in both Scandinavian and foreign companies in prospecting, mining and windpower. Ironically, while many of these companies market themselves to investors based on principles of Corporate Social Responsibility, companies often fail to see the connection between the impacts of their activities and the rights of Saami people.
One of these companies is an Australian mining company, called Scandinavian Resources[SCR] . From their base in Perth Western Australia, SCR are exploring for iron ore in the north of Sweden and Norway. Three of the Saami communities impacted by SCR’s activities are Laevas, Girjas and Lainiovuoma and together with the Saami Council*, the National Swedish Saami Association, Saami Parliament and Australian based Minerals Policy Institute, these communities are fighting to protect their traditional lands.
Another company is British based Beowulf Mining, currently undertaking exploration activities in Jokkmokk, Northern Sweden. Two of the Saami communities impacted by Beowulf’s activities are Jåhkågaska and Sirges and they are currently working together with the Saami Council* and the National Swedish Saami Association to protect their livelihoods.
This blogg was originally set-up with the help of Mineral Policy Institute, an NGO in Australia. It is updated by Saami Council staff and Saami community members. The publisher of each individual blogg is noted under each blogg heading.
For further details regarding Saami Council’s work contact:
Mattias Åhrén, Chief Lawyer, Saami Council
Telephone: +47 47 37 91 61 Email: mattias.ahren@saamicouncil.net
For further details concerning the Saami communities of Laevas, Girjas and Lainiovuoma, contact:
Mats Berg, Media Contact, Laevas and Girjas Saami Communities
Telephone: +46 70 397 6977
* The Saami Council is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), representing the Saami people, indigenous to northern Fennoscandinavia and the Kola Peninsula of the Russian Federation. It is an umbrella organisation, whose members are the major representative Saami organisations in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Russian Federation. The Saami Council has represented the Saami people at an international level for 30 years, and has consultative status with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOC). It is also a permanent participant to the Arctic Council.
SVENSKA
Välkommen till Saami Resources – en hemsida om den omtvistade äganderätten och bruket av samiska traditionella landområden och resurser.
Samerna är ett urfolk i Sápmi, Sameland, som omfattar de norra delarna av Norge, Sverige, Finland och Kolahalvön i Ryssland.
Samiska områden i Sverige upplever för närvarande en explosion i gruv-och vindkraftsutveckling. Det har skett en ökning av både skandinaviska och utländska företag som prospekterar inom gruvdrift och vindkraft. Många av dessa företags marknadsföring till investerare bygger ironiskt nog på principerna om företagens sociala ansvar, men man misslyckas ofta att se sambandet mellan effekterna av deras verksamhet och rättigheterna för det samiska folket.
Ett av dessa företag är ett australiensiskt gruvbolag, som kallas Scandinavian Resources [SCR]. Från sin bas i Perth Western Australia, prospekterar SCR järnmalm i norra Sverige och Norge. Tre samebyarna som påverkas av SCR: s verksamhet är Laevas, Girjas och Lainiovuoma som tillsammans med Samerådet, Svenska Samernas Riksförbund, Sametinget och australiensiska Minerals Policy Institute, kämpar för att skydda sina traditionella landområden.
Ett annat företag är brittiskt baserat Beowulf Mining som prospekterar i Jokkmokksområdet och vars planer hotar Jåhkågaska och Sirges samebyars marker.
