Blog: Truth and Reconciliation – how does it affect the nature of the Saami homeland and the Saami People?

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation organized a webinar on 9 March 2026 on the work of the truth and reconciliation commission from the perspective of  natural environment in the Saami homeland in the Finnish context. Opening this discussion is important – the nature and conditions have changed significantly due to human activity, climate change and biodiversity loss in the Saami homeland.

The  Saami Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Finland’s proposals concerning the management and use of State-administrated lands in the Saami homeland recommended, among other things, the protection of natural forests, the ratification of the ILO 169 Convention, and compensation for damages caused by logging. It is the only Saami Truth Commission having the consequences of climate change in its official mandate.

Since the Saami Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Finland began its work in 2021, the world has changed drastically – Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has broken out, leading to increased geopolitical tensions in the Arctic and globally, such as the war in Iran. Climate change and biodiversity loss have been sidelined in global politics, even though they are detrimental to the survival of the whole humanity. However, the global political situation does not mean that Finland should refrain from taking action to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss and supporting the Saami people in maintaining traditional livelihoods, such as reindeer herding, which becomes more challenging in in a warming and constantly changing world.

Saami land use has also changed as livelihoods and economic structures have evolved – the last nomadic Saami in the Finnish context settled into permanent housing in the 1960s. The landscape and its identification have changed in very concrete ways. Saami place names have rapidly been replaced by Finnish ones in areas no longer used by Saami communities, effectively making Saami place names and Saami territory disappear. The identity of these places change, and their history is forgotten.

Nature conservation has traditionally meant preserving nature as it is without visible, industrial human impact. But nowadays human influence manifests primarily through changes in temperature and conditions that alter vegetation, borders of vegetation zones, and the length of the growing season. This leads to a situation where an area is no longer in a natural state but becomes a climate-warmed landscape shaped by humans.

Climate change and adaptation to it represent cultural change for the Saami people, and adaptation has taken place independently, without public support – and this seems likely to continue. Climate science speaks of tipping points, moments when irreversible changes occur in the global climate system. Cultural tipping points can also be discussed – situations where a culture changes so extensively that a cultural fusion emerges. This is also being discussed  in the context of Saami culture. Climate change is one uncontrolled, human-driven form of colonialism – it renders areas uninhabitable, forces people to relocate as climate refugees, and threatens or even erases cultures. For the Saami, as for many Indigenous peoples, climate change has introduced new challenges, such as green colonialism, where Indigenous lands are used for technologies and energy production meant to mitigate climate change and Indigenous peoples do not have effective means to prevent projects from entering their territories. In Norway, Saami reindeer herders won the Fosen windfarm case. Similar court case is ongoing on Øyfjellet wind farm in Vefsn municipality, on the reindeer grazing lands of Jillen-Njaarke community.  Wind power development is ongoing, and it is likely that new court cases emerge especially in Norway.

What could truth and reconciliation mean for environmental protection and the management and use of land and water in the Saami homeland?

 For centuries, even millennia, the Saami people have been caretakers of the nature, animals and ecosystems of Sápmi, but this responsibility was severed as legislation and state administration evolved, and the Saami became users rather than managers of their lands. The vegetation and conditions of the Saami homeland have changed significantly due to climate change, making it more difficult to practice traditional Saami livelihoods. In Canada, a similar truth and reconciliation process has led to a re-evaluation of protected area governance and Indigenous participation in land management. This work is still ongoing. It would be important for the Saami truth and reconciliation processes to lead to similar developments in Nordic countries.

Truth and reconciliation processes are part of transitional justice – societal mechanisms used to address historical injustices. Transitional justice also relates to addressing and remedying the adverse impacts of environmental crises and climate change. This is especially important for the Saami people, whose traditional culture is deeply intertwined with nature.

If issues of land ownership are left aside, truth and reconciliation, transitional justice and climate adaptation require a new approach to land use planning and governance in Saami homeland. Various solutions have already been proposed, for example for the protection of alpine ecosystems. This also requires that authorities governing the area understand Saami culture and traditional land use practices.

Based on research collected in various projects (SAAMI project, co-production of knowledge project, INDECOL, PRESAAMI, SAAMI-INDI), the following processes appear most urgent for a truth and reconciliation process concerning Sápmi’s environment and traditional Saami land use:

  1. Foresight and building future pathways – anticipating change instead of merely reacting to it
  2. Curbing forestification and shrub expansion by restoring landscapes
  3. Developing local conservation measures in cooperation with Saami traditional knowledge holders – conditions vary by municipality and even within the area of single reindeer herding cooperative.
  4. Involving land users in conservation measures and monitoring environmental change
  5. Reforming administrative and governance systems to recognize Saami traditional knowledge and participation
  6. Rapid response to changing environmental conditions
  7. Adjusting competing land uses to the needs of traditional Saami livelihoods and climate mitigation
  8. Reforming support systems for traditional livelihoods to include adaptation, mitigation, biodiversity loss and Saami traditional knowledge
  9. Ensuring adequate resourcing for all measures

According to Saami traditional knowledge holders and scientific research, action is urgently needed – monitoring change is no longer enough. Achieving transitional justice requires a comprehensive re-evaluation of the environmental protection system in Saami homeland so that traditional Saami livelihoods and Saami culture can continue to thrive in a global, warming world. More discussion and concrete proposals are needed across all sectors of society on how transitional justice can be realized in this new global context.

Senior Researcher Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi, Juvvá Lemet
MARCEN Project

Picture: Kari Autto