Norway's green transition is putting Sami culture at risk

"I grew up in a small place called Tana, where there were just 12 children in my school class. Of the five of us who were Sami, two came from families of reindeer herders. At the time, I believed the rest were Norwegian. Later, I learned that everyone in my class was Sami. Their parents had been pressured to hide who they were."

"When I was at school, the Norwegian state wanted all Sami people to be known simply as Norwegian. We were forced to speak the national language instead of our own. We were not allowed to speak Sami in school or sing Sami songs. At one point, even our traditional drum used to connect with nature's spirits was banned by the church. These policies were designed to erase us, and they left deep scars that remain today."

Renewable energy projects planned by the Norwegian government would place several hundred wind turbines on Sami grazing lands, disrupting reindeer migration routes, damaging fragile ecosystems, and undermining reindeer herding livelihoods. Reindeer herding forms an integral part of Sami culture, rooted in respect for nature, community and continuity. Historical Norwegian policies forced Sami people to speak Norwegian, banned Sami language, songs and traditional drums, and pressured families to hide their identity, leaving deep scars. Some Sami families preserved the language at home and continue to reclaim rights. The threatened developments risk eroding cultural continuity and economic survival.

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