Leanne Betasamosake Simpson belongs to the Mississauga nishnaabeg indigenous people and hails from Ontario, Canada. Many people probably recognize her from the Idle no more movement. A storm of protest that started among Canada's indigenous peoples in 2012 and was a reaction to the government's decision to change environmental laws.
She has written several books with colonialism and indigenous peoples in focus. The visit to Sápmi means a lot to her, she told SVT Sápmi after the conversation on stage.
"We have in common the enormous love for our languages, cultures and our ways of life. I think it's important that we meet and understand what colonialism has meant for our people," she says.
Followed the protests in Norway
She has followed the demonstrations held recently in Oslo and supports the Sami activists. She thinks the countries are repeating mistakes of the past.
"We all have great hope for alternative forms of energy. But we must respect the self-determination of indigenous peoples on their home lands because it is so important that we can live our lives, and that the animals with whom we share the planet can also live their lives. We must respect indigenous peoples' rights," says Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
Inspiration for others
Lea Simma, executive director at Tjállegoahte, held the conversation between the two authors at Littfest in Umeå during the past weekend.
Like Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Niillas Holmberg is a poet, musician and writer. He is from Ohcejohka/Utsjoki, on the Finnish side of Sápmi. They both work to lift indigenous knowledge and strengthen self-determination for indigenous peoples in the world.
"What Leanne has written about in her books is something I and many others have been inspired by. She talks about us having the answer in our communities and in the lands. What we have forgotten, we can get back from there, says Niillas Holmberg.