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This study considers international norms of indigenous right to land and compares them to Swedish law and preparatory works. In a Swedish context Samí land use, typically reindeer herding, is under increased pressure from mining, forestry and other extractions of natural resources. According to this study, the international norms are clear: there are customary rights to culture, encompassing land, and rights to consultation. There are also established rights to ownership of traditional lands and natural resources. There are disputes as to the strength of these rights but they can be considered international norms to different degrees. Furthermore, there are procedural requirements such as importance of customs and eased burden of proof.  These international norms are considered to a low degree in Swedish law. The only traces found are rights to culture, encompassing land rights, and reindeer herding rights, an expression of land rights. These rights are not implemented in relevant legislation. Critical Race Theory explains a lot: the importance of ethnicity and racism and their connection to power emerges clearly. The state has constructed the majority view of the Samí and distributed rights accordingly. Preparatory work underlines how difficult a task it is to define land rights. The law is allowed to remain indeterminate, a disadvantage for the Samí. When rights are adjudicated by the Supreme Court the meaning is weakened. At the bottom line is a colonial view which aids commercial interests.

Indigenous rights are among the most rapidly progressing domains in international law. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted more than a decade ago, and now the task consists of implementing the rights within the state structure. While the concept of self- determination constitutes the very core of indigenous rights, it also represents the most difficult challenge to establish within the existing system of sovereign states. This thesis seeks to contribute to the discussion regarding the implementation of indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination within states. By examining the public discourse surrounding the concept of self-determination in relation to the Sami people in the Swedish political system, it’s possible to obtain a deeper understanding of the dynamics in play. The thesis focuses on analyzing the core elements of self- determination and the formulation of the perceived problems surrounding the political measures of the concept. The discourse analysis, examining the period 2006-2017, concludes that the understanding of the concept of self-determination is linked to the political status of the indigenous people, the political debate within the national assembly, the perception of possible solutions and the function of indigenous institutions.