1. Recognition of Sami rights in Norway
The Sami are an indigenous people, whose territory (Sápmi) is spread across four different
States (Finland, Norway, the Russian Federation and Sweden) since the drawing of national
boundaries in 1751 (Sámediggi, undated).
In Norway, the Sami population is estimated at some 50,000–65,000. As noted by the Sami
expert John B. Henriksen:
These figures are estimates only as the national censuses do not include a specific component
on ethnic identity thereby making it difficult to give accurate estimates. The Sami in Norway
are spread over wide parts of the country so that many of the traditional Sami areas appear
today as Sami enclaves. However, in the county of Finnmark the Sami constitute a significant
part of the total population; in particular in municipalities in Inner Finnmark where they are
in majority (Henriksen, 2008: 7).
The traditional Sami livelihood, based on reindeer herding, involves seasonal migration. Until
1965, Norwegian law only allowed Norwegian citizens to buy land, and preference was given
to persons who used the Norwegian language (Sámediggi, 2011). As Henriksen explains:
“Sami traditional ownership of lands and resources was regarded as irrelevant in legal terms,
as their immemorial occupation and use of land and resources did not establish any right
under the Norwegian system” (Henriksen, 2008: 7).
This, as noted by Roy and Henriksen, had the further consequence that:
In Norway, there is no clearly defined Sami Homeland area (…). This is largely due to
historical factors, among others. The Sami in Norway are spread over wide parts of the
country so that many of the traditional Sami areas appear today as Sami enclaves. The
Sami in Norway have also been reluctant to attempt to define such a geographic area for
fear that some Sami settlement areas would be excluded (Roy and Henriksen, 2010: 7).
In general, legislation and policy in Norway were aimed at the “Norwegianization” (fornorskning) of the Sami. This remained the case until 1956, when a committee was set up to
propose measures to strengthen the Sami minority economically, socially and culturally (Roy
and Henriksen, 2010: 7). Although the committee’s proposals were not followed, there was
growing acceptance of the Sami as a minority in Norway in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1967,
education in the Sami language was recognized as a right and, in 1973, the Nordic Sami
Institute was opened as a research establishment (Roy and Henriksen, 2010: 7).
In 1978, the Norwegian Government decided to establish a hydropower plant in Alta, a key
area for the grazing of Sami reindeer. The Sami population protested against the plant but,
in 1981, the Sami protestors were removed by a force of 600 Norwegian police. The event
caught international attention and triggered a shift in Norway’s policy, as the Government
saw the need to accommodate Sami claims for rights.
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