Vapsten Lappby and Vapsten Sami village both consider themselves to have the original right to the Vapsten area south of Tärnaby.
In February 2020, Lycksele District Court ruled that both groups had an equal right to reindeer herding in the area.
However, the verdict was appealed by both parties and the Court of Appeal annulled the district court's decision, stating that a procedural error had been committed.
Therefore, the trial will now be resumed.
In Vapsten Lappby, it is hoped that the District Court will now make a new assessment and that they will get back their area and their legal rights.
- We were robbed of our heritage, says Sigrid Stångberg who is one of the oldest in the Lapp village and whose family ran reindeer herding.
She is also one of the 21 people who personally invested money and who sued Vapsten Sami village.
"Is about our raison d'être"
If you have reindeer husbandry rights, you also have the support of the Sami Parliament and may also take part of the state's compensation.
You are also entitled to hunting and fishing, which is worth tens of millions of kronor.
- But it is not the money that applies in the first place, but for us it is about our raison d'être and the restoration we want after the violation which means that we are completely without rights, says Erik Östergren who is a member of Vapsten Lappby.
But Lisa Omma, who belongs to Vapsten Sami village and who also participates in the negotiations in court, says that the whole process is sad.
- It is difficult to talk to people who just want to remove one from the area, she says to P4 Västerbotten.
This is a unique case because it is the Sami within the same Sami village who stand against each other and where the dispute is to be decided in court.
- Vapsten Sami village feels confident and has good hopes of a positive outcome for the Sami village in the case, says Per Magnusson who is a lawyer for Vapsten Sami village.