pic: southlapland.com
The Girjas herding cooperative (Girjas sameby) was today granted the exclusive rights to small game hunting and fishing within their borders. Although the state of Sweden still formally owns the land, the state is no longer able to sell hunting and fishing licences – that right belongs solely to the cooperative members, if they so choose or not.
The case went all the way to the highest court, after mixed verdicts at the lower levels. The supreme court based their decision on the historical circumstances and rights due to their having lived and worked on the land since time “immemorial” (urminnes hävd).
Minister for Rural Affairs Jennie Nilsson commented that the ruling today will likely have consequences for not just hunting and fishing, but also for other Sami communities and for Sami who are not living in Sami communities. Others are worried, though, that this will sow seeds of huge discontent in those who also live in these areas but who are not Sami. Although most legal experts say this was the only correct verdict considering the four binding conventions Sweden has signed and that provide far-reaching rights for indigenous Sami people – it was not taken well by everyone, DN reports. Twitter wasn’t polite – or even decent – in many instances.
Stay tuned for more reports of conflict.