Representatives of the Sami population in the Finnmark County have demanded compensation for new mining projects’ harm inflicted on their traditional industries.
However, Sami Parliament representative Torill Koven Bakken says to NRK that compensations like this would probably intensify the level of conflict between the Sami population and other inhabitants of Finnmark. Ms. Bakken argues that it would be better to establish compensation based on geographical preferences rather than ethnicity.
The Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry this fall failed to agree with the regional Sami Parliament about the compensation issue. A new mining law for the region could now be adopted by the Norwegian Parliament without the consent of the Sami parliamentarians.
