Norway’s green transition is putting Sami culture at risk

I americium a Sami reindeer herder from bluish Norway. My household and I person herded reindeer for generations. It is not conscionable our livelihood, but an integral portion of Sami civilization – a mode of beingness built connected respect for nature, assemblage and continuity. We marque our surviving from the land, and we are arrogant of who we are and what we do.

Today, that mode of beingness is nether superior threat.

The Norwegian authorities is readying to physique respective 100 upwind turbines connected our grazing lands. These projects would disrupt reindeer migration routes, harm fragile ecosystems and undermine the precise foundations of Sami reindeer herding. I americium speaking retired due to the fact that if this goes ahead, we hazard losing not conscionable our income, but our culture. This is wherefore I americium portion of Amnesty International’s Write for Rights run this year.

I grew up successful a tiny spot called Tana, wherever determination were conscionable 12 children successful my schoolhouse class. Of the 5 of america who were Sami, 2 came from families of reindeer herders. At the time, I believed the remainder were Norwegian. Later, I learned that everyone successful my people was Sami. Their parents had been pressured to fell who they were.

When I was astatine school, the Norwegian authorities wanted each Sami radical to beryllium known simply arsenic Norwegian. We were forced to talk the nationalist connection alternatively of our own. We were not allowed to talk Sami successful schoolhouse oregon sing Sami songs. At 1 point, adjacent our accepted drum — utilized to link with nature’s spirits — was banned by the church. These policies were designed to erase us, and they near heavy scars that stay today.

Thankfully, my parents allowed maine to talk Sami astatine home, adjacent though it was considered a forbidden language. I person ever been arrogant of my heritage, but galore others were denied that opportunity. We person struggled for decades to reclaim rights that should ne'er person been taken from us.

I decided aboriginal connected that I wanted to go a reindeer herder. It felt natural, rooted successful the beingness I knew and loved. My hubby and I joined young and chose to travel successful our ancestors’ footsteps. For a agelong time, we lived peacefully, believing that we would proceed this beingness arsenic generations earlier america had done.

That bid has not lasted.

Today, the authorities is taking our land. This volition person a devastating effect connected our income and connected the reindeer themselves. From wintertime to spring, the reindeer graze successful 1 country earlier migrating for the summer. They migrate connected their ain and springiness commencement successful the aforesaid spot each year. Our relation arsenic herders is to travel them, not to power them. When migration routes are broken, the full strategy collapses.

In 2023, respective 100 upwind turbines were abruptly projected straight connected our summertime grazing lands successful Corgas. These plans endanger to destruct grazing areas, sever migration routes and undermine past herding traditions. Despite fierce absorption from Sami communities, the authorities are rushing approvals.

We cognize what upwind turbines bash to reindeer. The animals debar the areas entirely. If these projects spell ahead, the onshore volition go unusable. While the Norwegian authorities claims ownership of the land, the Sami radical were granted the close to usage it hundreds of years ago. Now, that close is being pushed speech successful favour of concern development. Our children hazard being near with nothing.

Reindeer herding sustains our assemblage successful galore ways. The reindeer supply nutrient and materials for accepted handicrafts. My household besides runs a tiny institution that shares Sami cognition and civilization with visitors. Every year, astir 4,000 radical from each implicit the satellite travel to larn astir our mode of life. If these upwind farms are built, we hazard losing everything we person built together.

What makes this adjacent harder to judge is the justification. We are told this is astir greenish vigor and the future. But astatine what cost, and to whom? Norway already has abundant electricity. Why is quality valued lone erstwhile it tin beryllium exploited? We are the ones surviving with the effects of clime change. When I was increasing up, wintertime temperatures could scope minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit). Today, winters are warmer. Sometimes it rains alternatively of snow, forming crystal that prevents reindeer from accessing food. We request this onshore to past a changing climate, not to sacrifice it.

For much than a year, I person been warring to support our onshore and our community. I be meetings with vigor companies to explicate however upwind turbines volition harm our livelihoods and the animals. I effort to marque our lawsuit to authorities officials, but it feels similar nary 1 is listening.

Seven upwind workplace projects are present planned, involving hundreds of turbines. I person explained again and again what this volition mean for us, yet the decisions look already made. I consciousness similar I americium losing my beingness to this fight, simply to support what should ne'er person been threatened.

I person 3 children and 8 grandchildren. I interest profoundly astir the aboriginal they are being forced to inherit. Young radical should not person to turn up perpetually warring for the close to exist.

This conflict has taken a toll connected my intelligence health. Some days, I americium inactive trying to recognize however to past what is happening. My assemblage supports maine arsenic champion they can. They archer maine I americium strong, and their enactment gives maine strength. I americium not doing this lone for my ain family. I americium doing it for the full community.

I volition not stop. I protestation extracurricular authorities buildings with friends. We spell together, due to the fact that solidarity matters. I cannot beryllium backmost and ticker our onshore beryllium taken. As agelong arsenic I person the spot to fight, I will.

I person ever been an activist. When I was six years old, I fought to talk Sami astatine school. I wanted it to beryllium our archetypal language, not our second, and I was not acrophobic to accidental so. That combat has ne'er truly ended.

I americium grateful that Amnesty International is supporting our case today. Their solidarity reminds maine that we are not invisible, adjacent erstwhile our ain authorities treats america arsenic if we are. This is our life. I bash not cognize different mode of living. We indispensable support our onshore truthful that aboriginal generations tin proceed to unrecorded arsenic Sami.

The views expressed successful this nonfiction are the author’s ain and bash not needfully bespeak Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.