Young reindeer herders in Sweden blogging about Härjedalen land rights case
Three young Sami reindeer herders from Härjedalen, Sweden have started a blog where they write about their everyday life as reindeer herders in this area. The reason for the blog is an ongoing law suit, where the Sami villages have lost their rights to reindeer grazing in this area. And while an agreement would appear to be in reach, in principle, it means that the villages renounce their customary rights to pasture their reindeer for ever.
According to Helena Omma, the leader of the Saminuorra the youth perspective is often missing in these kinds of processes, so there is a need for the youth to explain their own lives with their own words and how this process affects them and how they believe that they have a future in reindeer husbandry in Härjedalen.
Visit the blog here (in Swedish)
Read the press release from the Saami Council about the case here on the Reindeer Portal.
Sami win long fight for reindeer grazing rights: http://www.thelocal.se/33430/20110427
Hopefully this will also set a precedent for Härjedalen. Rightfully it is the youth that will benefit from this ruling, it their future! Heads up.
Huub Kwantes