The Exploitation of Sápmi

Resource exploitation in Sápmi has a long history. Since the 17th century, industrialists and investors have turned to the north to cope with various crises. During the early modern period, it was about obtaining capital for consumption of the new global trade goods of the time. Today, it is about what is usually called the green transition.

The discovery of silver at Násavarri/Nasafjäll and copper in Svappavaara/Svahpavarri in the early 17th century opened northern Sápmi to mining, the construction of mills and marketplaces, but also for the first tourism and a first wave of cultural exploitation of the area. The 17th century boom was followed by a recession in the industrialisation of Norrland, but served as a clear foundation for the exploitation that took off in the 19th century and is thus important for our society today.

Jonas Monié Nordin is a professor of historical archaeology at Lund University and researches resource colonisation in Sápmi during the early modern period. In 2020, the award-winning book “The Scandinavian Early Modern World” was published, which places Scandinavian colonialism in a larger global context. Monié Nordin is also a member of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People.