Reindeer Blog

Two Sami villages in northern Sweden have been denied compensation from the state-owned mining company LKAB for the time village representatives spent on planning for the relocation of Kiruna. The reindeer herding villages of Gaban and Leavas first turned to the government for money to make up for time spent tending to the relocation of [...]

JOINT PRESS RELEASE by the Saami Council and the National Swedish Saami Association 2008-02-21   Saami areas in Sweden are currently experiencing an explosion in mining and windpower development. There has been an increase in both Scandinavian and foreign companies in prospecting, mining and windpower. Ironically, while many of these companies market themselves to investors [...]

Mining activites across the Sapmi  – Norway, Sweden, Finland and Norway are intense at the moment driven by high demand and elevated commodity prices. New mines are planned, extensive prospecting is occurring and old mines are being reopened. Yesterday, NRK Sami TV  had a lengthy piece on the impact of mining activities in several areas in northern [...]

(pic from Barents Observer) In a press release from Vancouver, Centrasia Mining Corp. announced that drilling has started on its 100% owned, Tsaga Platinum Group Metals (“PGM”) prospect on the Kola Peninsula, Russia – adjacent to Lovozero and in a region of reindeer husbandry. The Tsaga property covers an area of 1,970 square kilometres and is adjacent [...]

IGE Nordic, the daughter company of mining giant International Gold Exploration unveiled their plans for the former gold mine of Biedjovággi, 40 km West of Kautokeino. IGE Nordic visited Kautokeino last week having meetings with the municipality and reindeer herders from the  Ábborášša reindeer herding district in whose area the mine is to be redeveloped. In an interview [...]

Gold prices are at an all time high and this will certainly prompt a renewed gold rush in the Finnmark county, according to Jørgen Stenvold, Director of Store Norske Gull (SNG) in todays NRK Sami Radio. SNG is one of the largest mining companies in the region – with activities aleady underway in Karasjok and on the border [...]

The Oslo Stock exchange noted that the multinational mining company International Gold Exploration has found gold and copper in Finnmark – specifically in Biedjovaggi, 40 km West of Kautokeino/ Guovdageaidnu. Their chief geologist Benny Mattson of their daughter company IGE Nordic stated that it was a major find. Biedjovaggi is the site of a old [...]

(Pic NRK/Sami) There was a protest in Karasjok, Norway against mining company Store Norske Gull who were visiting the town to discuss their plans for mining in the region which has seen a large number of gold mining claims in the last few months. Several Sami women held signs stating ‘Sapmi Not For Sale’, ‘Meat [...]

It was a disastrous year for reindeer husbandry in Sweden, with very poor pasture conditions. In the Njaarke Sameby, 60% fewer calves were born than usual. Mining issues are prevalent there too, as the Sörkaitum Sameby is appealing the decision of the Bergstaten (the Swedish Mining Inspectorate) to permit a mining concession on the villages [...]

Reindeer herders feel helpless against the influx of mineral giants into their pastures, according to today’s report on Norwegian Sámi Radio. One of the largest companies in the world, with over 100,000 emplyees, Anglo American is meeting with the Sámi Parliament today, where their representatives claimed that reindeer husbandry is ‘Number One‘, though their representatives [...]