Saami Council Guidebook Decodes Financial Systems for Advocacy and Engagement
Created specifically for Sámi citizens, Saami Council released From Risks to Rights – A Financial Advocacy Guide, which “decodes complex financial systems and equips our communities to hold banks accountable when green economy and industrial projects threaten Sápmi" – traditional Sámi land.
Projects on Sámi lands, including mines to wind turbines are being considered and underwritten by financial institutions despite impacts to the Sámi way of life and the cultural practice of reindeer herding. The goal of the guide is “to make complex financial systems accessible and to empower Sámi communities to act on their own terms.”
From the introduction:
Financial institutions are not neutral actors. Their decisions about where money flows directly shape the futures of Indigenous Peoples. Investments in mines, wind farms, or other large-scale projects on Indigenous Peoplesʼ lands threaten the very way of life of the Sámi. Recent examples such as Fosen and Repparfjord show how banks and investors often rely on state permits, overlooking their deeper obligations to Indigenous Peoples. This is why financial advocacy is so important: by speaking the language of finance, Indigenous Peoples‘ communities can hold institutions accountable and push them to respect human rights and land rights in practice—not just on paper.
The guide outlines how financial institutions operate and key terminology, steps for identifying private and public actors behind corporate projects, differences between direct and indirect impacts from project financing, the types of risks that banks measure, steps to research and engage with banks, and defining goals for engagement.
“We hope this handbook will support Indigenous Peoples across Sápmi and beyond to strengthen their advocacy skills, defend their land rights, and engage with financial institutions in ways that bring about meaningful change,” said Per-Olof Nutti, President of Saami Council.
The guide was developed by Sámi experts in collaboration with Saami Council, Voices, Tallgrass Institute, and SIRGE Coalition.
Read the Guide and Learn More about Saami Council
