07/02/2022
Today February 6th is Sámi National Day. It honours the first ever Sámi congress, organised back in 1917 in Trondheim. That day was the first time that the Indigenous people of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia, came together across national borders to find solutions for their shared problems.
This year, supporting the fight for the protection of Sámi’s rights to their land - Sápmi - their culture and way of life is even more pressing than ever. With the Swedish government being tasked with the decision of whether or not to open a mine in Gállok, Sápmi, estimated to only generate short-term profits, there’s yet another threat to the lives and livelihoods of the last Indigenous peoples of Europe.
Indigenous peoples comprise about 6% of the global population, yet they protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Besides protecting human rights, this conflict is about protecting a way of life that is in balance with nature, rather than one that’s constantly fighting against it - as if we’re not all a part of it.
No matter where you live or what your views are, we all need policies that prioritises Indigenous’ rights, nature’s rights and resource efficiency over short-term profits and opportunistic exploitation. This requires a government that enables us to protect what is left of nature, rather than one that acts as if we could cope without it. Especially when we have the choice of honoring the beauty that is the coexistence of nature and culture. 🌎
Click the link in bio to learn more about the Gállok conflict and sign the petition.
Photo from our friend