The Sámi Parliament in Norway: a “breaking in” perspective

Abstract

The Sámediggi (Sámi Parliament) in Norway was established in 1989 after the critical juncture of the Alta conflict. As the Indigenous Sámi people are dispersed, a self-determination body with political autonomy was chosen, neither fitting into a territorial nor a non-territorial model of autonomy. We examine how the Sámediggi has developed as an institution for Sámi self-determination, the kind of self-determination being developed and the features it has, and why the model of self-determination is not founded on territorial autonomy and self-rule but still has a territorial basis. Having neither an exclusive Sámi territory nor lawmaking or fiscal powers, the Sámediggi depends on cooperation with Norwegian institutions. Rather than breaking out from the state, the Sámediggi’s strategy is breaking in – indigenising national, regional and local governments from the inside through consultations and formal agreements, thereby extending Indigenous perspectives and participation into non-Indigenous affairs. Sámi self-determination can thus be described as relational, resulting in a process marked by both setbacks and advances.