Agreement-making in the Sámi homeland: Investigating an emerging tool in green transition governance

There is a growing urgency to transition to a fossil-free economy and new ways to power our lifestyles. In the Sámi homeland – a hot-spot for green industrial transition in Sweden – conflicts over land and resources are on the rise as developments of industries such as wind and mining for critical minerals are intensifying. Decision-making that balances such competing claims is necessary to make the transition sustainable and just, but in the absence of functional state regulation there is a growing trend for developers to use “extraction contracting”, seeking to obtain consent from reindeer herding communities through negotiated agreements. Due to their confidential nature, not much is known about the content of these agreements. Are they a neoliberal governance instrument biased against Sámi groups? Or do they help protect Sámi Indigenous rights and ensure social justice? In Sweden, this question is unanswered. Drawing on critical Indigenous scholarship on decolonization, this project undertakes the first empirical investigation of agreement-making in the Sámi homeland. The research will be conducted in partnership with several Sámi herding communities and guided by principles of participatory action research and Indigenous research.

Funders and partners

Funder: Formas

Partners: The Swedish Sami Federation (Sámiid Rikkasearvi, Svenska Samernas Riksförbund (SSR))