In recent years the field of reparations for indigenous peoples has increased remarkably. Past wrongs made by states in the distant past has become more important to highlight, not only because of the memories of historical injustice, but because of how the past impacts the future, and not least, still appears as structures of discrimination remaining from the past.   As an indigenous people the Saami people living in Sweden have experiences of both historical injustices as well as todays struggle with discrimination on different levels. Mostly regarding their right to be a part of decisions concerning them and the right of culture, language, identity, land and nature resources, fundamental for them as a people. In order to change their situation and to search for redress the Saami people in Sweden have announced their need of a truth commission. The Saami people are not the first indigenous people whom search for redress through a truth commission, but is it possible to learn from others?   With this in mind, my study aim to look at practical experiences of truth commissions in Canada and New Zealand and further, examine what the Saami people in Sweden hope to achieve with a truth commission. Thereafter, I weight other indigenous peoples experiences of a truth commission with the Saami peoples expectations to find out what keys need to be considered to increase the outcome of a truth commission. Where theory, practical experience and Saami expectations connects is where the key issues can be found. Given this, my study suggests that five different key issues must be thought through and shall not be underestimated as they may have an effect on the ongoing process as well as on the results and the aftermaths. The key issues that is suggested is as follows: 1) political will, 2) the role and engagement of Civil Society, 3) the Saami´s own involvement 4) the problem of what focus the commission should have, and 5) the awareness of “tough” questions coming up.

Abstract This narrative-biographical study focuses on stories told by teachers working in Lapland about their work and life. The key concept of the study is 'place', which is conceptualised as subjectively experienced place in line with humanistic geography. The research data consisted of interviews of seven teachers working in Lapland, including two Saami and five Finnish teachers. Two main research questions were addressed: I How do teachers tell about place? II What is teachers' manner of knowing from the viewpoint of place? The results revealed an inside view of 'place', which reflects the dweller's perspective towards place. The informants' stories highlighted five place-related sentiments: concern, commitment, sense of home, recognition and appreciation. At the general level, teachers felt concern about the contradiction between the south and the north. They also felt concern about the future of their pupils, schools and villages. Commitment and sense of home were enhanced by a place-related lifestyle and nature as well as an opportunity to do subjectively meaningful things. The teachers described their sentiment of belonging to a place in a way that reflected recognition and appreciation. For an individual, recognition related to everyday phenomena and interpersonal relations played an important role, but recognition by different groups and society was also significant. The autobiographical story by one of the Saami teachers clearly indicated the significance of local knowledge for teachers' work. Personal local knowledge is tacit knowledge based on experience and constitutes an important aspect of teachers' practical knowledge. The focus of this autobiographical story did not involve only the teacher but also the community, the people, the place and the culture that the teacher felt herself to be part of. Saami ancestry defined this teacher's mode of existence in a crucial way. Since she shared the cultural background of her pupils, she understood their everyday school life well. She had an important role as an intermediary at the interface between two cultures. Overall, Finnish teachers work in notably different schools and different conditions. It is important to listen to many different stories, because stories told by marginal actors may serve an emancipatory function for future teachers. Based on the findings, one of the challenges of teacher education is to develop ways of working whereby students can critically evaluate their autobiographical and personal knowledge. Personal experiential background is a valuable resource, which should be taken into account in teacher education already. / Tiivistelmä Tässä narratiivis-elämäkerrallisessa tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan Lapin kouluissa työskentelevien opettajien kertomuksia työstä ja elämästä. Tutkimuksen keskeinen käsite on paikka, joka käsitteellistetään humanistisen maantieteen näkökulmasta koetuksi paikaksi. Tutkimuksen aineistona on seitsemälle Lapissa työskentelevälle opettajalle tehdyt haastattelut. Haastatteluissa on mukana kaksi saamelaista ja viisi suomalaista opettajaa. Päätutkimuskysymyksiä on kaksi: I Millaiseksi opettajat kertovat paikan? II Millainen on opettajan tietämisen tapa paikan näkökulmasta? Tutkimuksen tuloksena syntyi kuva paikasta sisältä päin, sellainen, joka ilmentää asukkaan näkökulmaa paikkaan. Opettajien kertomukset toivat esiin viisi paikkatunnetta: huolen, sitoutumisen, kodintunteen sekä tunnustuksen ja arvostuksen tunteet. Yleisellä tasolla huoli liittyi koettuun vastakkainasetteluun etelän ja pohjoisen välillä. Opettajat tunsivat huolta myös oppilaidensa, koulujensa ja kyliensä tulevaisuudesta. Sitoutumisen ja kodintunnetta vahvistivat paikkaan liittyvä elämäntapa ja luonto sekä mahdollisuus tehdä mielekkäiksi koettuja asioita. Opettajat kuvasivat paikkaan kuulumistaan tavalla, jota voidaan ymmärtää tunnustuksen ja arvostuksen käsitteiden avulla. Tärkeässä osassa yksilön kannalta olivat arkipäivän ilmiöihin ja läheisten ihmisten välisiin suhteisiin liittyvä tunnustus, mutta myös erilaisten ryhmien ja yhteiskunnan taholta tuleva arvonanto. Tutkimuksen tuloksena avautui saamelaisen opettajan minäkertomuksen kautta persoonallisen paikallisen tiedon merkitys opettajan työssä. Persoonallinen paikallinen tieto on kokemukseen perustuvaa, hiljaista tietoa ja muodostaa yhden tärkeän osan opettajan praktista tietoa. Minäkertomuksen keskiössä ei ollut vain kertova opettaja itse, vaan myös yhteisö, toiset ihmiset, paikka ja kulttuuri, joihin opettaja tunsi kuuluvansa. Saamelaisuus määritti opettajana olemisen tapaa keskeisellä tavalla. Koska opettajalla oli samankaltainen kulttuuritausta oppilaidensa kanssa, hän ymmärsi näiden kouluarkea hyvin. Hänellä oli tärkeä, välittävä merkitys toimiessaan koulussa kahden kulttuurin rajapinnalla. Koululaitoksemme opettajat toimivat hyvin erilaisissa kouluissa ja erilaisissa olosuhteissa. Monenlaisten kertomusten kuuleminen on tärkeää, koska marginaaleista esitetyt kertomukset voivat toimia vapauttavina kertomuksina tuleville opettajille. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella opettajankoulutukselle voidaan asettaa haasteeksi kehittää työtapoja, joiden avulla opiskelijat voivat arvioida kriittisesti omiin kokemuksiinsa perustuvaa elämäkerrallista ja persoonallista tietoa. Persoonallinen kokemustausta on arvokas resurssi, joka tulisi pystyä ottamaan huomioon jo opettajankoulutusvaiheessa. / Čoahkkáigeassu Dán narratiiva-eallingeardedutkamušas Raija Erkkilä guorahallá Lappileana skuvllaid oahpaheaddjiid muitalusaid barggu ja eallima birra. Dutkamuša guovddáš doaba lea báiki, mii meroštallojuvvo humanisttalaš geografiija geahččanguovllus vásihuvvon báikin. Dutkamuša materiálan leat čieža Lappileanas bargi oahpaheaddji jearahallamat, main leat fárus guokte sápmelaš ja vihtta suopmelaš oahpaheaddji. Váldodutkangažaldagat leat guokte: I Makkárin oahpaheaddjit muitalit báikki? II Makkár lea oahpaheaddji diehtima vuohki báikki geahčcanguovllus? Dutkamuša boađusin šattai govva báikkis siskkobealde, mii čájeha ássi geahččanguovllu báikái. Oahpaheaddjiid muitalusat bukte ovdan vihtta báikedovdamuša: fuolla, čatnaseapmi, ruovttudovdamuš sihke dovddasteami ja árvvusatnima dovddut. Almmolaš dásis fuolla laktásii vásihuvvon vuostegeahčái mátti ja davi gaskkas. Oahpaheaddjit ledje fuolastuvvan maiddái sin oahppiid, skuvllaid ja giliid boahttevuođas. Čatnaseami ja ruovttudovdamuša nannejedje báikái laktáseaddji eallinvuohki ja luondu sihke vejolašvuohta bargat áššiid, maid vásihedje jierpmálažžan. Oahpaheaddjit govvidedje iežaset báikái gullama vugiin, man sáhttá áddet dovddasteami ja árvvusatnima doahpagiiguin. Dehálaš oasis individuála geažil lei dovddasteapmi, mii laktásii árgabeaivvi ihtagiidda ja lagaš olbmuid gaskavuođaide. Dehálaš lei maiddái dovddasteapmi, mii bođii sierralágan joavkkuin ja servodagas. Dutkamuša boađusin rahpasii sápmelaš oahpaheaddji mun-muitalusa bokte persovnnalaš báikkálaš dieđu mearkkašupmi oahpaheaddji barggus. Persovnnalaš báikkálaš diehtu lea vásáhussii vuođđuduvvi jávohis diehtu ja dat duddjo ovtta dehálaš oasi oahpaheaddji praktihkalaš dieđus. Mun-muitalusa guovddážis ii lean dušše muitaleaddji oahpaheaddji ieš, muhto baicca searvvuš, eará olbmot, báiki ja kultuvra, maidda oahpaheaddji dovddai iežas gullat. Sápmelašvuohta mearridii oahpaheaddjin leahkima vuogi guovddáš lági mielde. Go oahpaheaddjis lei seammálágan kulturduogáš iežas oahppiiguin, son áddii bures dáid skuvllaárgga. Sus lei dehálaš, sirdi mearkkašupmi doaimmadettiin skuvllas guovtti kultuvrra rádjedásiin. Min skuvlalágádusa oahpaheaddjit doibmet hui iešguđetlágan skuvllain ja iešguđetlágan diliin. Máđggalágan muitalusaid guldaleapmi lea dehálaš, go marginálain muitaluvvon muitalusat sáhttet doaibmat boahtte oahpaheaddjiide beasti muitalussan. Dutkamuša bohtosiid vuođul oahpaheaddjiskuvlemii sáhttá bidjat hástalussan ovddidit bargovugiid, maid vuođul oahppit sáhttet árvvoštallat kritihkalaččat eallingearddi ja persovnnalaš dieđu, mii vuođđuduvvá sin iežaset vásáhusaide. Persovnnalaš vásihanduogáš lea dehálaš riggodat, man galggašii sáhttit váldit vuhtii juo oahpaheaddjiskuvlenmuttus.

This thesis scrutinises the state plans for future mining operations in two specific areas in northern Sweden, namely Rönnbäck/Rönnbäcken and Gállok/Kallak, and how these plans have become issues of intense dialogues and debates nationwide during the previous years. This is partly because of environmental reasons but the primary matter is because these two areas have traditionally belonged to the indigenous Saami people where they are pursuing reindeer husbandry. Despite the many voices of the Swedish society as well as the Saami people that have been raised against the mining plans in these two specific areas, the Swedish government still approved the mining companies to start pursing their activities in both cases. Because of this, several human rights issues have been invoked against the Swedish state in terms of the directly affected Saami’s rights as an indigenous people. Some of these invocations have been made by referring to the ICERD and UNDRIP. Therefore, on the basis of the Saami’s right to fair rectification as an indigenous people, the aim of this work is to further examine how state actions for rectification, because of previous state conducted human rights violations, are being perceived by different actors; in this case the Swedish state and the Saami people. By applying the theoretical framework of rectificatory justice, and conducting the method of analysing the arguments and perceptions of the Saami people as well as the Swedish state, the main focus of the thesis is to further examine the two cases of Rönnbäck/Rönnbäcken and Gállok/Kallak. The thesis’ main finding is that there are many discrepancies between the Saami people and the Swedish state in terms of their views on fair rectificatory arrangements as well as the rights of the Saami as an indigenous people.

Introduction. This thesis is set in the field of critical knowledge organization and indigenous knowledge organi- zation. Building on the theory of domain analysis I chose the Saami Library in Sweden as the domain for this thesis. The purpose was to identify the structures of power affecting how the lives and experiences of the Saami people are represented in the library catalogue and in the classification systems used, and to examine the views on knowledge expressed in the classification systems. Theory and method. This thesis builds upon the writings on deconstruction. I seek to deconstruct the cata- logue and the classification system using tools derived from the writings of Jacques Derrida. Analysis. Nine posts from the catalogue, and the classification codes entered there were analysed. Emphasis was put on analysing the DDC classification as this is the primary classification system used. Results. From analysing the classifications and the catalogue posts I found that the representations of the Saami experiences varied depending on which subject class the book belonged to. A majority of the posts analysed were classified as social sciences in DDC whereas the classifications were more varied in the Swedish SAB- system. Conclusion. Two structures have been identified. The first structure places the Saami experiences as some- thing that is other, in relation to which the mainstream is defined. The second structure places the Saami experi- ences as part of a diversity, separate from the unity of the mainstream society. This structure only acknowledges the existence of diversity if this means that the position of the unity is strengthened. Concerning the second purpose of the thesis I find that a western knowledge perspective has got a hegemonic position in the DDC, which means that other knowledge systems such as indigenous knowledge is not seen as such but as something only related to a specific group. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

The student thesis Nationalism and Norrientalism: A Discourse Analysis of the Norrlandic Independence Debate of Late Summer 2016 and Beyond aims to examine the style and content of the recent secession debate in the Swedish and Norrlandic printed press. From the late summer of 2016 to the beginning of 2017 the question of Norrlandic sovereignty was a prioritized topic in the legacy media debate, as well as in social media. It commenced after the Swedish government enterprise Vattenfall planned to relocate forty employment opportunities from Jokkmokk, raising the question of Norrlandic independence based on a post-colonialist view of the region. This thesis examines how the framing of Northern Sweden as a colony has been established, re-established or refuted in the different discourses of the printed debate, through a faceted lens composed of various theories of Orientalism and nationalism. Rooted in the discourse theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, merged with the critical discourse analysis of Norman Fairclough, and leaning against media theories of inoculation and framing, the study takes aim at the myths, metaphors, articulations and antagonisms which constituted the polemics in the printed press of the period. The results conclude that the debate revolved around independence, resources, and the myth regarding Norrland—often described as a barren landscape, marked by vast distances and a lack of social services. The term colony was used to describe Norrland as marginalised and robbed of its natural resources, whereas the term was met by opposition from the objecting side, who emphasised the historic and present representation of Norrlanders in high politics. The colonial identity was constituted in the press through internal Orientalism by Stockholm writers and self-Orientalisation by Norrlandic ones. The most distinct patterns of difference between the objecting side and the advocating side of independence was the determination of the real economic loser of a Norrlandic secession from Sweden.

The Sámi’s past activities have been documented historically from a European perspective, and more recently from an anthropological viewpoint, giving a generalised observation of the Sámi, during the study period of AD200-AD1800, as semi-nomadic hunter gatherers, with several theories suggesting that interaction with Europeans, through trade, led to the adoption of European activities by certain groups of the Sámi (Eiermann, 1923; Paine, 1957; Manker and Vorren, 1962; Bratrein, 1981; Mathiesen et al, 1981; Meriot, 1984). However, there is almost no information on the impact the Sámi had on the landscape, either before or after any adoption of European activities, and none investigating what cultural footprint or indicators would remain from Sámi or European occupation and/or activity within the typically podzolic soils of Northern Sweden. Consequently the thesis aims to contribute to the gap in knowledge through the formation of a podzol model identifying the links between anthropogenic activity and the alteration of podzol soils, and through the creation of soils based models which identify the cultural indicators associated with both Sámi and European activity; formed from the identification of cultural indicators retained within known Sámi and European sites. The methods used to obtain the information needed to achieve this were the pH and magnetic susceptibility from bulk soil samples and micromorphological and chemical analysis of thin section slides through the use of standard microscopy and X-ray fluorescence from a scanning electron microscope. The analysis revealed that the Sámi had an extremely low impact on the landscape, leaving hard to detect cultural indicators related to reindeer herding in the form of reindeer faecal material with corresponding phosphorous peaks in the thin section slides. The European footprint however, was markedly different and very visible even within the acidic soil environment. The European indicators were cultivation based and included phosphorous and aluminium peaks as well as a deepened, highly homogenised plaggen style anthropogenic topsoil rich in ‘added’ materials. An abandoned European site which visibly and chemically shows the formation of a secondary albic horizon within the anthropogenic topsoil also provides an insight into the delicate balance of cultivated soil in northern Sweden, whilst reinforcing the outputs identified in the podzol model. Due to the almost invisible Sámi footprint on the landscape, areas of overlap were impossible to identify however, there was no evidence of the adoption of European cultivation activities at any of the Sámi sites investigated. The only known area of interaction between the two cultures was an official market place which had been a Sámi winter settlement prior to its use as a market site. This site showed none of the reindeer based Sámi indicators or the cultivation based European indicators, but did contain pottery fragments which could be linked to trade or occupation. Overall, the thesis reinforces the low impact expected of the semi-nomadic Sámi and sheds light on the underlying podzolic processes influencing the anthropogenically modified soils of Northern Sweden. The podzol model is reinforced by several findings throughout the thesis and the soils based cultural indicator models for both Sámi and European activity have been successfully tested against independent entomological and palynological data and therefore provide reliable reference material for future studies.