Sweden must apologise for harm done to Sami people, says state-backed report
An independent commission in Sweden has recommended that the government formally apologize for historical mistreatment of the Indigenous Sami people. The report highlights ongoing tensions regarding land rights and the preservation of Sami culture amidst industrial mining expansion.
Why it matters
The report addresses systemic human rights failures and highlights the conflict between Indigenous land rights and state-led industrial development.
Sami children campaigning with the climate activist Greta Thunberg in Jokkmokk, Sweden, in 2020. Sami children campaigning with the climate activist Greta Thunberg in Jokkmokk, Sweden, in 2020. Sweden Sweden must apologise for harm done to Sami people, says state-backed report Independent commission accuses country of failing Indigenous people, amid rising tensions over land rights
Prefer the Guardian on Google An independent commission set up by the Swedish state has called on the country’s government to apologise for the “harm and injustice inflicted upon the Sami people” and to start a national process for “redress and reconciliation”.
The Truth Commission for the Sami People also called for a special apology to be issued urgently to elderly Sami people who were forced as children to attend segregated so-called “nomad school” and other boarding schools where they were “subjected to violations or abuse”.
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