After four years of work, the Truth Commission is today submitting its final report to Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand (M). It is a 1,100-page review of 400 years of state and church policy towards the Sami - and the consequences it has had. Sami testimonies have been collected in a separate volume.
I hope that this will be the start of a change, which may also lead to reconciliation, Commission Chair Lena Nyberg tells TT.
The first thing the state needs to do is acknowledge the abuses that have occurred in the form of forced displacement, loss of land, and loss of language and culture. Then the Sami people must also receive an apology.
“Disgusting part”
When asked what she has been most struck by during her work, she highlights how Sami children were sent to nomadic schools or workhouses.
How the children were taken from their families and how the children were treated there, it is a despicable part of our history. It has made me both frustrated and upset that they have not received an apology sooner.
One of the calls that the final report ends with is for an apology to be issued to those affected as soon as possible.
"This has affected the lives of both their children and grandchildren. And it is of course sad to have lost both the relationship with parents and siblings and to their language and culture," says Lena Nyberg.
Knowledge transfer
Other proposals involve changing legislation, such as giving Sami interests special weight in relation to mineral extraction and other national interests. They also involve raising awareness about the Sami among authorities, municipalities and regions, and an office for the Equality Ombudsman (DO) in northern Sweden.
It is proposed that the Sami Parliament be given more autonomy and resources, and that children be given increased opportunities to develop their Sami language in preschool.
However, the burning issue of control over hunting and fishing in reindeer herding areas in the mountains is not addressed. This was investigated by the Reindeer Committee - which the government, after criticism, disbanded before it could submit its final proposals.
Lena Nyberg hopes that the Truth Commission's report will not lead to a polarized debate.
But unfortunately, there is very strong polarization in some places between the Sami and the majority population, she says.
The government decided in 2021 to establish a truth commission for the Sami people. Members were appointed in 2022.
The committee's work has been affected by the resignation of two chairmen.
The Truth Commission's final report makes 71 calls and 49 concrete proposals for measures that "contribute to redress and promote reconciliation and a viable Sami society."
Earlier this year, the Truth Commission presented a research anthology on, among other things, forced displacement, hydroelectric dams, racial biology research and nomadic schools.
The Truth Commission's historical review of state policy includes the Church of Sweden until it separated from the state. In 2021, the Church of Sweden officially apologized to the Sami people.
Previously, a truth and reconciliation commission has reported on the violations suffered by the Tornedalen people. Its final report on the Tornedalen people, the Kväners and the Lantalaiset people was presented in 2023.
Sources: Truth Commission and others
