“Finland violates the rights of the Sámi people by allowing mining companies in Sámi homeland”

The Finnish Saami Council in a press release echoes the concerns of local Sami communities regarding news about the Dutch-owned mineral exploration company Akkerman attempting to enter the Finnish side of Sami areas without the indigenous Sámi rights holders, such as reindeer herding siidas, being appropriately informed about the permission.

According to the Mining Act in Finland, Finnish authorities are not obliged to separately notify the Sámi rights holders or the Sámi Parliament in Finland on license decisions concerning Saami homeland. Nor are Sámi rights holders and the Sámi Parliament entitled to file complaints on such decisions, according to several court rulings.

Finland voted for the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, but still has not recognized the land rights of the Sámi people.

The North Western Enontekiö area is one of the rare areas in Finland where key elements of traditional Sami lifestyle such as year-round reindeer herding with a siida system has been preserved and maintained.