Linking the Indigenous Sami People with Regional Development in Sweden
The Sami have lived for time immemorial in an area that today extends across the Kola
Peninsula in Russia, northern Finland, northern Norway's coast and inland, and the
northern half of Sweden. The Sami play an important role in these northern economies
thanks to their use of land, their involvement in reindeer husbandry, agriculture/farming
and food production, and connection with the region’s tourism industry. However, in
Sweden, as in the other states where the Sami live, the connections with regional
development are often inconsistent and weak, and could do more to support the preservation
and promotion of Sami culture and create new employment and business opportunities.
This study, together with the OECD’s broader thematic work on this topic, provides
actionable recommendations on how to better include the Sami and other Indigenous
Peoples in regional development strategies, learning from and incorporating their
own perspectives on sustainable development in the process.
Published on January 21, 2019
In series:OECD Rural Policy Reviewsview more titles