Beyond Single Projects: Sámi Reindeer Herders Stress the Severity of Cumulative Impacts in Industrial Land Use
On 14 August 2026, SápmiDem, in collaboration with Sámi bálgosat rs |Säämi palgâseh rs | Sää’m palggâz rõ, brought together representatives of Sámi reindeer herding cooperatives for a workshop in Rivdul, Aanaar. The objective was to discuss what an impact assessment developed from the perspective of Sámi reindeer herding should include.
The workshop focused on developing a shared “checklist” for Sámi reindeer herders and reindeer herding cooperatives to support their own assessment of the impacts of land-use projects in Sápmi. This brings together the diverse knowledge and experiences within Sámi reindeer herding to increase understanding of the full range of impacts that land use can have on reindeer herding, culture and livelihoods.
“There is No Sámi Language and Culture Separate from the Rest of Our Lives”
A key message from the workshop was clear: land-use projects in Sápmi require extensive and cumulative impact assessments. The impacts of individual projects cannot be understood in isolation from existing and planned land uses, which already place overlapping pressures on Sámi reindeer herding. This means that impact assessment needs to look beyond the boundaries of an individual project and consider the overall capacity of the land to sustain reindeer herding and Sámi lives as a whole.
The discussions also highlighted that impacts on Sámi language and culture cannot be separated from economic, social, technological and environmental impacts. A genuinely holistic assessment must consider these dimensions together, rather than treating cultural impacts as a narrowly defined category separate from other facets of Sámi lives. Such an approach also makes it important to recognise the knowledge held within Sámi communities themselves.
Key takeaways of the workshop are well aligned with the 2023 report by the Finnish Ministry of Environment, necessitating full realisation of Indigenous and human rights through comprehensive and contextualised impact assessment processes informed by traditional Sámi knowledges.
The further development of Sámi impact assessment “checklist” continues as a part of the SápmiDem research project in 2026-28. If you are interested in joining future discussions, please be in touch with Rauna Kuokkanen / rauna.kuokkanen@ulapland.fi (English, davvisámegiella & suomi).