Our research, prior to starting the Birgejupmi project, focused on conflicts and reconciliation processes in Sámi reindeer herding, “Soabahallan.” We now examining this work in the context of the Norwegian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Norwegian Parliament’s efforts to establish a national center for reconciliation. In such restorative work, it is important to highlight knowledge about resilience in the face of the extensive consequences of colonization and assimilation.
In this article, we present data and examples that document how reindeer herders are choosing to remain in the industry, in contrast to, for example, the negative trends in agriculture. Reindeer herders are committed to continuing to participate in and develop this thousand-year-old way of life, birgejupmi (a spiritual, economic, and social way of living), despite the fact that the reindeer herding industry is under significant pressure from inappropriate laws and regulations. Similar mechanisms have also been observed in Sámi fishing and hunting. A common challenge is the lack of the duty to consult by both authorities and private industries in relation to mining, roads, railways, wind and hydropower development, tourism, cabin construction, and more.
We write about birgejupmi in practice, how Indigenous knowledge is only to a marginal extent used in state or municipal governance, and the consequences this has for sustainability, conflict levels, and legitimacy. Can, for example, the resilience in reindeer herding be explained? And can this knowledge be applied in the long-term restorative and reconciliation work that is needed and even promised by the state?
We explore Indigenous understandings and practices that should influence public and administrative definitions, emphasizing the need to view economic, social, and ecological sustainability as interconnected. Studies of violations and conflicts, and how these are addressed through both mediation processes and the legal system, are seen as guiding principles for understanding the necessary restoration and reconciliation in ongoing disputes over the use of meahcci (a concept encompassing both mental and physical “outfields,” including people’s relationships with and care for each other, animals, and the surrounding nature). This perspective also extends to fjords and the sea, which are liekwise common, shared landsfrom which resourcs are harvested.
It is crucial to have data and a broad perspective on these areas of conflict in order to find sustainable solutions to today’s challenges in restoration and reconciliation.
