Abstracts
Abstract
While Indigenous communities in all circumpolar regions today face increasing pressure from mining companies, their influence in decision-making processes varies substantially. In Norway, the pasturelands of the reindeer-herding Sámi have huge mineral potential and new mining projects are in development. Such projects imply a domino effect, since they tend to generate infrastructures like roads, power lines, and so on. Norway enjoys a high profile as a country strongly committed to Indigenous rights; the Sámi also have their own parliamentary system. Yet to date the Sámi Parliament has been unable to halt these encroachments, a situation in part due to its composition. Because of the electoral rules and the general political position of the reindeer-herding Sámi in Norway, most of the Sámi members of parliament represent interests that run partially counter to the activities of the herders. While Indigenous political participation is territorially defined in Canada and Greenland, this is not the case in Norway.
Résumé
Les communautés autochtones des régions circumpolaires sont aujourd’hui soumises à une pression croissante des sociétés minières. Pourtant, l’influence que ces communautés peuvent exercer sur les processus décisionnels varie considérablement. En Norvège, de nouveaux projets sont lancés pour exploiter l’immense potentiel minier des zones de pâturage utilisées par les Sámi, des éleveurs de rennes. De surcroît, ces projets nécessitent en général la construction d’infrastructures telles que routes, lignes électriques, etc. La Norvège a une grande visibilité ainsi que des engagements concrets à l’égard des droits autochtones. De plus, les Sámi ont leur propre système parlementaire. Mais ce parlement n’a pas encore été en mesure de mettre un terme aux empiétements des compagnies minières à cause de la façon dont il est composé. En raison des règles électorales et de la position politique des éleveurs sámi, la majorité des membres sámi du parlement représentent des intérêts en partie contraires aux activités d’élevage de rennes. Alors que la participation politique des peuples autochtones est territorialement définie au Canada et au Groenland, ce n’est pas le cas en Norvège.
Appendices
Archival sources
- NRL (NORSKE REINDRIFTSAMERS LANDSFORBUND), 1985 Landsmøtevedtak, sak 8/85 (‘Resolution of the National Congress’), Norske reindriftsamers landsforbund (‘Sami Reindeer Herders’ Association’).
- NRK (NORWEGIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION), 2012 NRK Sápmi, August 20 (online at: http://www.nrk.no/kanal/nrk_sapmi/1.8365729).
- OMRÅDESTYRET FOR VEST-FINNMARK, 2011 Impact review of Nussir mining project, September 5, 2011, Områdestyret for Vest-Finnmark (‘District Board of West-Finnmark’).
Court cases
- Rt. (Rettstidende, Supreme Court Law Report) 1968, Altevann.
- Rt. (Rettstidende, Supreme Court Law Report) 1974: 492, Stifjell-Varfjell.
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