In Sweden, a commission recommends a state apology for injustices against the Sami people.
The Truth Commission for the Sami People submitted its final report to the Swedish authorities on September 30. After five years of investigation and hundreds of testimonies collected, it makes 71 recommendations, including an official apology from the state, to address the injustices suffered by the Sami.
Four centuries of condemned policies
The report examines four centuries of colonization, racism, and persecution attributed to the state and the church. It describes the consequences of policies that targeted Sami culture, language, and religion.
These impacts have also weakened a traditional way of life based in particular on reindeer herding, fishing, and gathering. The commission calls on Sweden to acknowledge the facts and take responsibility for them.
Lands and activities still under threat
The Sami believe their land rights in northern Sweden remain threatened by industrial activities, mining, and forestry. These press are further straining already fragile traditional practices.
Among the proposed meas are an apology from the Swedish state, increased awareness among civil servants, and greater autonomy for the Sami people. The recommendations have also been forwarded to authorities, museums, and the Church of Sweden.
A people spread across four countries
Nearly 100,000 Sami live on their ancestral Arctic territory, which stretches between Finland, Norway, Sweden and part of Russia. They are the only Indigenous people in Europe legally recognized as such.
The issue of apologies was also raised in Finland. The previous year, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo had stated that his country owed the Sami people a « full and dignified » official apology.
Source: RFI – News, information, live updates – Radio France Internationale (www.rfi.fr)
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Author: RFI
