After a government initiative a couple of years ago, which means that hydropower's environmental conditions must be reconsidered throughout the country, a research group at SEI, Stockholm environment institute, SEI, started its own study on the Sami view of hydropower management.

That study is now complete and was presented on Monday.

- We have investigated what confidence the Sami have in the managers of hydropower.

There, we have chosen to focus on the county administrative board and the hydropower companies, which are the actors that the Sami come into most contact with, says Katarina Inga, who is part of the institute's research group.

Changed drastically

Through surveys, the research group has been able to draw conclusions that clearly indicate dissatisfaction.

According to the study, this is due to the handling of Sami by the state when hydropower was developed in the country during the first part of the 20th century.

Sami living conditions changed drastically as many had to abandon their homes because they were damned.

And at the same time, they lost culturally important places.

Reindeer grazing land was drowned and fishing was destroyed.

In the survey study, they have chosen to focus on the county administrative board and the hydropower companies as managers.

But the study also shows that mistrust permeates the state and authorities in general.

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Katarina Inga about the report Photo: SVT

Distrust of the government

- What we see is that there is also a general distrust of the government and authorities in general among Sami who feel that they have not been allowed to participate.

Sami rights are seen as interest-based views and not rights, says Katarina Inga.

Ola Pittsa, in Unna tjerusj who conducts reindeer husbandry in the area around Stora luleälven, states that state-owned Vattenfall, which has several power plants in the area with associated dams, today takes more account of the Sami situation than previous generations have experienced.

His grandfather is an example of a Sami who was hit hard by the hydropower expansion.

He had to move four times due to the expansion.

Ola Pittsa would like to see Sami receive compensation for Sami land that is used.