It smolders in the north – Ytring

One person’s fear is another’s hope. From an outside perspective, it is not easy to grasp what is unfolding in our northernmost region. While some in the north see the Fosen judgment and the Sami action as a great victory, others fear that this is the hook in the door for a future here. The common denominator for all of them is that they live, work and love their hometown. Why are they so divided? The Fosen case has turned what should have been a pleasant visit into a potential hand grenade, writes Tone Sofie Aglen Photo: Jan Langhaug / NTB Gold weight and hand grenade Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre came to this paradox when he visited the Sami Parliament in Karasjok on Thursday. Although the trip has been on the calendar for a long time, the Fosen case has turned what should have been a pleasant visit into a potential hand grenade. Luckily, he is not pursued by the Labor leader. On the other hand, with arguable eyes, crossed expectations and a bunch of journalists. This was not the day for high thinking. On the other hand, for dialogue. The words Støre chooser are weighted in gold. There is a lot at stake. Because in the shadow of the Fosen case, there are conflicts between growth and protection, about the right to property and to Sami identity. And that in a climate that is becoming increasingly polarized. Where you scowl at each other and the tone is hateful. Where the moderate voices cannot bear to express themselves. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in conversation with the former Marit Alette Utsi, John Samuel Utsi and Anne Louise Næss Gaup during a visit to reindeer herders in Karasjok Photo: Jan Langhaug / NTB Lex-Fosen in a divided country The message from the Sami Parliament to Støre was not to be misunderstood: The deep crisis of trust between the state and the Sami people must be rectified. Can we talk about reconciliation as long as the Fosen case is unresolved, asked Sámi Parliament President Silje Karine Moutka. And adds that the Fosen case is just one of many cases. She says no to wind power in reindeer grazing areas, and believes the Sami have sacrificed enough for the green shift. Has sent shock waves And precisely that has sent shock waves into both business and the political environment. Because there are many who believe that Northern Norway’s biggest problem is a lack of people and a lack of power. And that it is closely related. New Year’s children in July In the northernmost municipalities, population statistics frighten people. The number of births is so low that there are places where the New Year’s baby does not arrive until the summer holidays. In some municipalities, births are so far apart that you have to add up six municipalities to fill a school class. If Northern Norway is to be developed, you need more power development, better power lines and new industry, many will say. One of these is Aina Borch, Labor mayor in Porsanger. It is the hook on the door for Finnmark if the campaigners win, was her message. Today, many new businesses are refused to start up because the region lacks power. Jonas Gahr Støre visited Ap mayor Aina Borch in Porsanger on Wednesday. Her message is that it is the hook on the door for Finnmark if the activists’ demands win out. Photo: Jan Langhaug / NTB At the same time, large parts of northern Norway are grazing areas for reindeer. Some hope, while others fear, that consideration of reindeer husbandry will in practice mean the thumbs down for the majority of these projects. Because it is not just wind power and mining that are problematic. Today, municipalities are experiencing that everything from commercial properties to footpaths and cycleways are being stopped. It is behind the predictions that the country will become a reserve, or “the world’s largest museum”, as Skjalg Fjellheim in Nordlys wrote. Against the wind and Sami struggle It is a description of reality that not everyone shares. The Sámi Parliament president calls it an intervention that “destroys our inalienable nature and is a shocking attack on our culture”. Where “the green shift” is still a term of honor in political circles, many see red. In particular, opposition to wind power is strong, and critical voices believe that the need for electricity is exaggerated. The new alliance between the Sami and wind power opponents has not made the debate any less explosive. And getting the role of the villain industry in the new season of the news series Exit was perhaps not what the wind power industry dreamed of now. But the battle between development and reindeer husbandry is only the tip of the iceberg. In Finnmark, things have been simmering for a long time. A Sami is not a Sami Reindeer herding is a central part of the Sami culture. At the same time, most Sami people have completely normal jobs. Like much else in society, reindeer husbandry is also concentrated among fewer and larger owners. Without it being reflected in the image of Finnmark. With the aforementioned perspective, it is easy to think that reindeer herding and Sami identity are two sides of the same issue. Preferably with a romantic look. But many, including among the Sámi, believe that reindeer husbandry is too dominant and imposes too many guidelines. They see themselves as a melting pot, where it is difficult to know where the Sami begins and the Norwegian ends. Or the Swedish, for that matter. Therefore, it is particularly painful that those who were most exposed to Norwegianization, the coastal population, are not perceived as Sami enough in the eyes of some. Polarized Sámi politics An expression of this is that the Nordkalott people have wind in their sails. In addition to being the largest opposition party in the Sámi Parliament, they also sit on the County Council. They work for “equality between people and industries”, and are strongly critical of the largest party Norske Samers Riksforbund (NSR), which they believe only serves the reindeer owners. And they don’t skimp on the gunpowder. They accuse the Sámi Parliament of being both a brake block, divisive, cultivating the role of victim and pushing reindeer husbandry ahead of them. They use words like Sami inquisition, and talk about the joike and kofte police against those who are not Sami enough. Already this autumn, Nordkalottfolket was measured as the third largest party in Finnmark. Many believe they have hit a nerve. They are predicted to be a magnet for new voters. But not least, they will be able to get many people to join the Sami population in order to influence from within. One of these is the industrial leader Greger Mannsverk from Kirkenes, who claims that the grandchildren have no future in the Finnmark that the Sami Parliament is ruling against. While the Nordkalott people use an outside vote, the Sami Parliament is felt to have become more radical and extreme in the opposite wing. There has been a flourishing of Sami awareness and culture, while critics believe they have also become more activist and less solution-oriented. The party that could suffer the most damage is the Labor Party. Pretty much as usual. They are criticized, also by their own people, for having little power and following the interests of reindeer husbandry too much. Many think they will lose big to the Nordkalott people. What seems to be missing in Sámi politics is a kind of centre. Word for word For in familiar style there is a big gap in the description of reality. Where some see a pressured reindeer herding that time after time loses for society at large, others point to increasing reindeer numbers, reduced grazing and that the herding is not as sustainable as they would like it to be. Reindrifta is described as powerful in spatial planning, but feels vulnerable and alone. There is no “NHO Reindrift”. While the reindeer owners refer to developed areas as lost forever, others believe it is compatible. Pictures of reindeer grazing under wind turbines and sleeping in roundabouts abound online. It’s a lot of word for word. One thing, however, is agreed upon. Distrust of the state’s management of nature, salmon stocks and not least predators. It can get ugly Much of the debate takes place in comment fields and social media, with caps lock and harsh language. There is Sami unity on the one hand and accusations of racism and “burn the jacket” on the other. The media are accused of fear of touch. Moderate voices are reluctant to participate in the debate. But on the face of it, there are many who express concern. For the backlash they think will come, for the conflicts to simmer. Because it can get ugly. Many remember with horror the debate before the Finnmark Act was passed in 2005. The compromise was that the management of 95 per cent of Finnmark was transferred to the Finnmarkseiendommen (FeFo), which is governed by the Sami Parliament and the County Council. A ticking bomb Now many are waiting for the outcome of the Karasjok trial. Two different groupings have gone to court to get property rights to the land in Norway’s second largest municipality, Karasjok. One is Karasjok municipality on behalf of all residents, the other group only on behalf of the Sami population in the municipality. Lawyers have for a long time studied old documents and family books to provide evidence. If they win, it is believed that more municipalities will follow suit. The joint ownership of Finnmark can erode. Here, too, it is about identity. The Sámi in Karasjok who want ownership say that this is about securing the Sámi’s rights. It is objected that it is the Sámi who were Norwegianized the most who will once again be the losers if the rights go to those who are “most Sámi”. The decision is expected around Easter time. Many have expectations for what will come on 1 July. For five years, a commission has investigated injustices committed against the Sami, Kven and other minorities. There will undoubtedly be strong testimonies of invisibility and abuse. Just over a quick coffee chat in Porsanger, I get to hear stories about children who didn’t learn they were Sami because their parents were ashamed. Who learned about Indians and other indigenous peoples at school, but not about themselves. Or about him who first realized what his mother was when she became demented and suddenly spoke Sami. How can such an injustice be remedied today? At its best, the north is experienced as a melting pot where people, cultures and languages ​​live side by side. But is increasingly referred to as a pressure cooker. This is where Jonas Gahr Støre’s parade branch should finally come into its own: Dialogue.



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