Swedish politicians attack Sami reindeer rights for mining — SkimNews
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- Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch gave a series of speeches in April and May calling reindeer husbandry "an industry that affects very large areas, but has limited economic significance," prompting Sami parliament board member Åsa Larsson Blind to say the deputy PM was "highlighting one group of people… as being the enemy of development."
- Sweden's Christian Democrats called for cutting reindeer herd numbers, removing reindeer husbandry's designation as a "national interest," and having the state "reclaim responsibility" for herder-used land as part of their election manifesto.
- State-owned miner LKAB is pursuing expansion of the Kiruna iron ore mine to encompass the Per Geijer deposit, which holds Europe's largest known reserve of rare-earth elements — part of Sweden and the EU's effort to reduce dependence on Chinese imports.
- Gabna Sami community head Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen warned the Per Geijer expansion would sever the connection between calving grounds and the mountain and forest region, saying it would "put an end to everything" for Sami herders and act as a "starting gun" for wider industrialisation across Sweden.
- The far-right Sweden Democrats, who could enter government for the first time after the September 13 vote, also singled out reindeer herders in their manifesto, pitting them against industrial development, tourism, and the wider Swedish public.
- LKAB said its application is at an early stage, with the Swedish mining inspectorate reviewing it, and submitted a reindeer herding impact assessment with proposed measures to support continued herding in the area.
- Kiruna itself is being relocated due to mine subsidence; last summer the town's red wooden church — designed to resemble a Sami lávvu — was rolled 5km to a new and more stable site.
Why it matters: For Sami herders, the dispute is not abstract — LKAB's Per Geijer plan would physically sever calving grounds from winter grazing routes, threatening a culture the Swedish constitution already protects. For Sweden and the EU, the rare-earth deposit is a strategic prize to reduce Chinese import dependence, which is why political rhetoric against reindeer husbandry has hardened so visibly ahead of the September 13 vote.
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