– It’s about being able to influence where you can, says Wikstrøm, who is mayor of Hammerfest municipality. Six years ago, he joined the Sami Parliament’s electoral roll. Before that, he did not care much about Sámi politics, nor did he know about his Sámi lineage. – I was probably one of the ordinary Norwegians, if I can use that expression, who had no great commitment to either Sami politics or the politics carried out in the Sami Parliament. But then suddenly his own municipality ended up in the middle of the Sámi political thorn in the side. Then a spark is also lit in Wikstrøm. Will affect He is not alone. A large proportion of the politicians in the north are in the Sami Parliament’s electoral roll. There, anyone who perceives themselves as Sami can demand to be introduced. That is the most important criterion for joining. In addition, you must either be the child of someone who is already on the census, or show that you, one of your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents spoke Sami at home. Of 352 elected representatives in Finnmark, 161 are listed in the Sami Parliament’s electoral roll, news’s investigations show. This means that almost half of the municipal council representatives there could vote in the Sámi parliamentary elections last year. Who should be able to vote in Sámi parliamentary elections? Participate in the debate, at the bottom of the article. At the same time, only 16 per cent of the adult population in Finnmark was included in the Sami Parliament’s electorate. – This tells us that the local elected representatives are overrepresented, says Jonas Stein, who is associate professor of political science at UIT-Norway’s Arctic University in Tromsø. It is not necessarily very surprising, because there are often committed people who want to participate in various political arenas. Election researcher Jonas Stein. Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen / news However, he thinks the numbers are interesting. They show that the Sámi Parliament is seen as a relevant arena for exercising politics, and that the politicians want to influence the decisions made at the Sámi Parliament. – There are many indications that for more and more politicians and residents in the north, the Sami Parliament is becoming a more important political actor. And more powerful political actor. Then you want influence. This is how democracy works, says Stein. Since the opening of the Sámi Parliament in 1989, the number of people has quadrupled: The dispute over the Nussir mine It was the Nussir mining project in his home municipality that was the reason why Terje Wikstrøm wanted his opinion to be heard in the Sámi Parliament. He completely disagreed with the Sami Parliament’s official position on the matter. The Sámi Parliament would do everything in its power to stop the plans for the copper mine in Kvalsund. They went so far as to send letters to investors at home and abroad with the aim of killing the project, once and for all. The Sámi Parliament believes Nussir is destroying the reindeer husbandry in the area, and the fishing in the fjord and river. The Sami artist and environmental activist Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen is one of those who has strongly committed herself to the Nussir mine. Last summer, she chained herself to stop the construction machines. Photo: Allan Klo Wikstrøm himself was positive about the project. It would provide ringing coin in the municipal coffers and many jobs and development in the region. As he became increasingly aware of how much influence the Sámi Parliament can actually have, he began to examine his family tree. – Then I found out, actually to my surprise, that my family from the Porsanger side meant that I had the right to enter the census, says Wikstrøm. He thought it was important to bring out the perspective that not all Sámi were against the mine. He thus registered himself in the electoral roll. He admits that at the time he did not see himself as Sami. – I didn’t do that the moment I signed up. I’ll be honest about that, and I think many people actually experience that. For me it will also be a journey, won’t it, says Wikstrøm. He points out that the Sami voice is often highlighted as an opposition to Nussir. – The other Sami voice, which I believe I constitute, should also have just as much importance, says Wikstrøm. – Double-edged sword Nils Mikkelsen Utsi is among the Sami who are at the other end of the opinion scale. Every year Utsi and his reindeer grazing district, Fiettar, move their reindeer herds down to summer pasture in Kvalsund. He has for a number of years fought against Nussir’s mining plans. The reindeer herding district he leads has even sued the state because they believe the operating license that has been granted violates international law. Leader in the Fiettar reindeer herding district, Nils Mikkelsen Utsi. Photo: Gyda Katrine Hesla Utsi basically thinks it is very good that so many Sami in Finnmark are now showing up and recognizing their Sami identity. – But this is also a double-edged sword, he says and elaborates: – What we are now seeing is that many of these Sami are attacking the clearest Sami industry we have in Norway, namely reindeer herding. It’s not as good, says Utsi. Open criteria Professor of cultural studies at UiT Norway’s Arctic University, Ivar Bjørklund, believes that the Sami Parliament in Norway has found itself in a rather special situation. – The number of men has such open criteria that I’m guessing that three quarters of Finnmark’s population can stand there. It goes back to great-grandparents, and everyone has eight great-grandparents, so there is a strong possibility that one of them was Sami. – My point is that this opens the way for political use of Sami arguments that you might not have thought of when the census was made. Professor of cultural studies at UiT Norway’s Arctic University, Ivar Bjørklund. Photo: Johan Ante Utsi Bjørklund refers to the dispute over the Nussir mine, and how local mine campaigners use the argument that the other Sami voice must also be heard. He says he will not be surprised if such arguments also appear in connection with other difficult development cases. – I just go and wait for wind power supporters to arrive who present themselves as Sami. After all, we are talking about local jobs, and then the Sami argument can be used that way as well. Mobilization on the coast In Wikstrøm’s municipality of Hammerfest, 40 per cent of the municipal council representatives are part of the Sami Parliament’s electorate, while only 7 per cent of the residents over the age of 18 are. Finnmark stands out compared to the rest of the country: – I think that many municipal politicians here in Finnmark today are in that tight spot in relation to the typical “Norwegian” and the “Sami”, which means that you see the value of signing up into the workforce, says Wikstrøm. He believes that more and more politicians will sign up, and that the rest of the population in Finnmark will follow. – I find that on the coast there is a greater commitment to actually recognizing their own identity and lineage, and that people then sign up for the census. There is still a lot to go on, but I believe that we are on the way to something good, says Wikstrøm. Municipalities with the most registered voters Table one of oneTromsø1,824Alta1,677Guovdageaidnu-Kautokeino1,573Kárášjohka-Karasjok1,378Oslo1,155 Hello!Thank you for reading the case!If you have input or tips, please send us an e-mail. Hi! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue What is the Sami Parliament? Photo: Sigve Nedredal / news The Sami Parliament is a popularly elected body created to ensure political representation and participation for Norway’s Sami population. Elections to the Sámi Parliament are held every four years, at the same time as parliamentary elections. The last Sámi parliamentary election was held on 13 September 2021. Everyone who wants to vote at the Sámi parliamentary election must be registered in the Sámi Parliament’s electoral roll. The purpose of the electoral roll is to be a register of people who have the opportunity to vote or stand as a candidate in Sami parliamentary elections. To enroll in the electoral roll, you must declare that you consider yourself to be Sami. In addition, you must sign that you are either the child of a person who is (was) in the electoral roll, or that you are the child, grandchild or great-grandchild of a person who has (had) Sami as their home language, or that you yourself have ( hat) Sami as home language. Source: Great Norwegian Lexicon
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Politicians over-represented in the Sami Parliament’s electorate – news Sápmi
