Last week in this space we brought you a story looking at how indigenous leaders were reacting to the Paris climate change agreement.
In it, Josefina Skerk, vice-president of Sweden’s Saami parliament, talked about the importance of indigenous voices when climate policy is implemented.
She spoke of the sometimes negative consequences climate mitigation strategies can have on aboriginal populations when their perspectives aren’t included, like the case of wind farms being installed on Saami lands in some parts of Arctic Europe.
Who are the Saami?
Saami call their traditional homeland, Sapmi. It straddles Arctic Norway, Finland, Sweden and northwestern Russia. They were traditionally semi-nomadic reindeer herders. There are an estimated 80,000 Saami living in northern Europe today.
Some of you in North America were hearing about this for the first time, and have asked where you could find out more information.
Here is our Eye on the Arctic audio interview with Josefina Skerk, where she explains what happened and the consequences it has had for reindeer herders in the North and why we in North America should be paying attention:
ListenRelated stories from around the North:
Canada: Q&A – What’s at stake for the Arctic at COP21?, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Mixed reactions in Finland to Paris climate accord, Yle News
Greenland: Paris – A COP-out for Arctic Peoples?, Ice-Blog
Sweden: Positive reaction to climate deal in Sweden, Radio Sweden
United States: Warming evident in Arctic air and waters: report, Alaska Dispatch News
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