Finnish Sámi Receive Political Support from a Parliamentary Party
Sami ethnic flag, Lapland. Source: iStock.com/daboost
The Swedish People’s Party (RKP) has become the first parliamentary party to publish a policy program dedicated to strengthening the rights of the Sámi people.
According to a survey by Yle, most other parties do not plan to develop a similar program; instead, they intend to address Sámi rights through other means.
On Monday, November 9, the Swedish People’s Party (RKP) released a 26-point action program concerning Sámi policy. To date, the RKP is the only party to have created a dedicated policy program for the Sámi.
The program aims to strengthen the rights and self-governance of the Sámi people in Finland. It was developed in collaboration with “RKP Saami” (the party’s Sámi branch).
Throughout its long history of participation in government, the RKP has worked extensively to bolster the rights and self-determination of the Sámi.
The action program covers a broad spectrum of aspects of Sámi life, including legislation, languages, education, traditional livelihoods, and adaptation to climate change.
The program calls on Finland—in cooperation with the Sámi—to promote the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to ratify ILO Convention No. 169. Furthermore, it demands the implementation of the recommendations put forward by the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission, according to a set schedule.
The changes proposed by the Swedish People’s Party (RKP) concern, among other things, reindeer husbandry, fishing rights, and the Sámi Language Act. The action plan also proposes the establishment of a permanent unit for Sámi affairs within the government.
At a press conference in Inari, RKP Chair Anders Adlercreutz stated that implementing these measures requires broad political will and concrete action.
“I hope that society as a whole will come to recognize the importance of Sámi issues. We are talking about the only indigenous people in Europe, and there is a great need to rectify the situation in many ways,” says Adlercreutz.
RKP’s Policy Program on Sámi Affairs
The initiative for this action plan was put forward by Tuomas Aslak Juuso, second vice president of the Sámi Parliament, in his capacity as a member of the RKP. “I proposed that we create a Sámi policy program—one that outlines our long-term goals and defines what we, as an entire party, advocate for. This way, we wouldn’t always have to ask the party’s Sámi members for their input,” Juuso explains.
During the press conference regarding the action plan, it was also announced that Juuso will be running as a candidate in next spring’s parliamentary elections.
Many of the proposals put forward by the Swedish People’s Party (RKP) align with the recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The primary differences lie in the demands for measures to control the humpback salmon population and for the provision of services in Sámi languages that do not require an interpreter.
Both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Sámi Parliament have called for improved access to services in Sámi languages throughout the country. The RKP’s action plan aims to ensure that services in Sámi languages are available without the need for a separate interpreter.
Adlercreutz notes that, during the current parliamentary term, the party has recognized that it is not enough for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission simply to raise issues.
“Genuine political will is required. We need concrete commitments—for instance, included in the government program,” says Adlercreutz.
How Other Parties Address Sámi Issues in Their Programs
Yle investigated whether other parliamentary parties have developed a Sámi policy program. Among the parliamentary parties that responded to the survey, none of the others have a separate policy program concerning the Sámi, even though they consider Sámi-related issues to be important.
The National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) states that a separate program is unnecessary because the rights of the Sámi are guaranteed by the Constitution.
Harri Vuorenpää, party secretary of the Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset), explains that while the party does not have a separate policy program for the Sámi, they consider it important to promote the status of the languages and cultures of indigenous peoples as part of Finland’s cultural heritage.
“The Finns Party considers it particularly important to recognize the historical status of the Forest Sámi,” Vuorenpää notes.
The Christian Democrats do not have a separate policy program specifically for Sámi issues. According to Johanna Stenberg, a legislative expert for the party’s parliamentary group, language-related matters have been touched upon in the party’s equality and non-discrimination program.
According to Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi, party secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the party’s policy positions are consolidated into a single political program. He notes that the Sámi, as an indigenous people, along with various minority groups, have the right to develop their own language and culture.
The Left Alliance addresses the rights of the Sámi in its platform and in its program concerning domestic linguistic minorities. The party notes that the need for a dedicated Sámi policy program could still arise in the future.
According to Jenni Pitko, vice chair of the Green League, key policy positions regarding Sámi rights—such as the commitment to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission—are included in the party platform and other policy documents.
The Centre Party informed Yle that, through its various other policy programs, it emphasizes the right of the Sámi to their own language and culture.
Liike Nyt has expressed interest in developing a policy program for Sámi issues in the future. The party currently has only one representative in Parliament.
“Issues related to the livelihoods and environment of indigenous peoples are important to us,” says Party Secretary Petteri Redsven.
Source: Yle (in Finnish)