Editor’s choice
The article presents an empirical analysis of mining impacts on Sámi reindeer herding in two cases from Sweden.
When Indigenous rights and demands for mineral wealth collide, knowledge of mining impacts is a highly contested area. Yet the scholarly literature contains few studies of the impacts borne by Indigenous groups.
In this paper, the authors offer an empirical analysis of mining impacts on Sámi reindeer herding in two cases from Sweden. The mine in Kaunisvaara is an active, open-pit iron mine operated by Kaunis Iron. The mine in Stihke was an underground copper/zinc mine operated from 1976 to 1988 by Boliden. Data generation comprised of interviews, workshops, field visits, participatory GIS, and literature review.
The findings show how the two mines have caused similar impacts, including on the land and the reindeer, the economy, and Sámi culture, health, and well-being. In a comparative analysis the authors discuss five themes:
The authors argue that if governments and mining companies were to genuinely consider the full scale of impacts, then it would entail a fundamental paradigm shift in mining governance in Sweden.
Project / As mining in the Arctic increases, there is an urgent need to assess social and environmental impacts as well as mitigate negative impacts.
Perspective / The EU faces a dilemma: advance its green transition or uphold the human rights of the Indigenous Sámi community.
Project / The NBSPLUS project aims to launch the concept of nature-based solution (NBS) services into practice.
Journal article / This paper critically analyses the Reindeer Husbandry Plan (Renbruksplan) in Sweden, evaluating its potential for resolving land use conflicts.
