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Regional Governance and Indigenous Rights in Norway: The Finnmark Estate Case

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Indigenous Peoples’ Governance of Land and Protected Territories in the Arctic

Abstract

In this chapter, we investigate how a regional political and administrative co-management reform in Norway, established to arrange for dialogue, cooperation and interaction between the indigenous Sami and the state was imprinted by conflict and resistance from a large part of the local population. The Finnmark Estate (FeFo) was established in 2006 in which implementation of indigenous rights in the management of land and natural resources are one of the core characteristics. The institution operates in an area where the population is ethnically mixed and where the indigenous people are a minority. Drawing on a governance perspective which recognizes the multitude of stakeholders, concerns and interests, this chapter highlights the complex interplay between legally adopted indigenous rights, which are formalized in the regional governing system, and the informal norms and barriers for change institutionalized in the surrounding society. We look into the public’s attitude towards the new regional governance body that shall secure indigenous rights along with other obligations. Has the opinion changed its positions since 2006, when there was a loud opposition against the establishment of FeFo? And more importantly, under what conditions could a co-management structure which includes regional government and indigenous representatives gain public legitimacy? The chapter builds on document studies and a unique survey which explores the population’s attitude toward the Finnmark Estate.

This article was written as a part of the project Finnmarkslandskap (Finnmark landscape) at Norut (Northern Research Institute) and was financed by the Regional Research Fund of North Norway.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Sámediggi is a democratically elected body comprised of 39 representatives elected from 7 districts every four years. Only those listed in the Sámediggi’s electoral roll have the right to vote. The registration is voluntary, signing on two criteria. First, the voters have to declare that they regard themselves Sami. Second, the voter have to confer that one self, one of the parents, grandparents or great grandparents use or used Sami as home language. One can also register if one of the parents has been registered in the electoral roll. The electoral rolls are a voter registration, not a register of the total Sami population. Established in 1989, the Sámediggi is the main political tool for strengthening the Sam i’s political, social and cultural position. The central government has transferred authority to the Sámediggi in some areas, primarily those concerning preservation of Sami cultural heritage, educ ation, language and culture. The Sámediggi is a mandatory body to be consulted on matters of special concern to the Sami population (www.samediggi.no).

  2. 2.

    Finnmark is one of 19 counties in Norway. It is the biggest county in Norway (48,649 km2), and has a scattered population of about 74,000 inhabitants.

  3. 3.

    There are however newly established local boards managing each national park in Norway, as a delegated state task. Sami representation is one out of several sectional interest groups. The first board was appointed in 2010, and since then the Sámediggis has appointed from one to four board members in all together 41 Boards. The number of board members varies , amongst othe r depending on how many municipalities that are represented in the board (e-mail information from the Sámediggi in Norway on 21st of March 2013).

  4. 4.

    According to Selle and Strømsnes 2010, those registered are in general more political active and positive towards the Sámediggi as compared to non-registered Sami.

  5. 5.

    For more information see Svensson 2002; Paine 1982.

  6. 6.

    The Act also states that “the Act shall apply with the limitations that follow from ILO Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries” (section 3).

  7. 7.

    When it comes to minerals it is according to the Norwegian Mineral Act divided into two groups; the states minerals (minerals with own weight over 5 kg pr. liter and where iron, copper, sink, silver, gold and lead are the most common) and the land owners’ minerals (all minerals that do not belong to the state, for example quartz, quartzite, nepheline, di amonds and natural stone, together with sand and gravel). The state minerals are claimable by searchers, while FeFo have possession of all other minerals.

  8. 8.

    The Kven is a minority group origin from Finland. They have immigrated over the last centuries.

  9. 9.

    In other land management arran gements, for example when it comes to management of national parks in Norway, there are examples of deep disagreement between national- and local level. Such disagreement may undermine public trust in the system. T hus there have been established other co-manag ement arrangements in which the Sami plays a role, or government arrangements, but then “in the shadow of hierarchy” (Scharpf 1994).

  10. 10.

    Similar arguments are also put forward in the discussion about implementing Sami rights in the Finnmark fisheries (Søreng 2013).

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Correspondence to Eva Josefsen PhD .

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Josefsen, E., Søreng, S.U., Selle, P. (2016). Regional Governance and Indigenous Rights in Norway: The Finnmark Estate Case. In: Herrmann, T., Martin, T. (eds) Indigenous Peoples’ Governance of Land and Protected Territories in the Arctic. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25035-9_2

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