In a big Swedish Facebook group which concentrates on Saami issues in Sweden, there have been discussions over Saami issues in Finland, too. I posted this text there today.
In Finland, the colonial state and Finnish demands and fears in Northern Finland have benefited a lot from the questioning of Saami identity by northerners who want to be Saami, but who are not Saami from the Saami point of view. Only by this one issue (who is Sámi) the northerners and the state managed to postpone all renewal of the original law on Sámediggi by 30 years.
It is clever colonialism. To outsiders, the state seems to be passive, while wannabe-saame take action and gain themselves empowerment and imago as victims, and the culprit seems to be the Indigenous Saami who are at least morally but probably also legally the collective landowners.
During that 30 years, the Saami rights and power lessened, went backwards. During that time, there has grown new generation, who were born in a false belief, fed by their own parents and others, that they are Saami but the Saami just do not accept them for they are evil. It is very unfortunate.
Many Finnish researchers and journalists tend to position themselves against the Saami, even those who otherwise represent themselves as antiracist. It is very ignorant and functions as silencing Saami voices.
Hatemongering, interests and demands by those who want to be Saami but who advocate against Saami rights, have taken lots of energy and time from the Saami, which also means, that time and energy goes somewhere else than Saami culture and normal Saami life, languages etc. It is so clever colonialism.
I am only wondering why on earth are some people who advocate powerfully for Saami and their rights in Sweden, not advocating FOR Saami in Finland but on the contrary against the Saami. It also may benefit Finnish colonialism. Very clever, international colonialism.
