Finnish Sami want land rights back

Sami in Finland have run into another roadblock in their battle to gain more control over traditional lands.

Last week, a committee looking into the state of Sami affairs in Finnish Lapland submitted its report to Finland’s minister of Justice.

But six dissenting Sami members on the 14-member committee condemned the report, saying “it would not be acceptable to the Sami.”

Pekka Aikio, head of the Finnish Sami Parliament, and the five other Sami committee members, said the report wouldn’t stop Sami assimilation or protect traditional reindeer herding lands.

Aikio said the committee was more concerned with protecting the rights of non-indigenous residents of Finnish Lapland, who now comprise the majority of the region’s population.

About 4,000 Sami live in Finnish Lapland. Before 1945, they were a majority in the region. Now, there are more than 100,000 non-indigenous residents.

Aikio said the committee’s proposals would leave Sami with even less influence over Finnish politics than they have now.

The report suggests state-owned land in Sami areas should remain under state ownership and under the control of Finland’s Forest and Park Service.

However, it recommends that decisions on land use be transferred to a special management board for nature reserves with equal representation from the Sami Parliament and municipalities in the area. The Finnish government would appoint a chair for the board.

But Sami say they want to have a majority of members on this board.