Materials Updates/News: 

Periodically, materials will be updated, or there may be news items worthy of attention related to this Unit. They will be notified here. If you come across any news/resources, e.g. journal/newspaper articles relevant to the content of this website, please let me know. I can be contacted via the email address below.

Kuhn, G. (2020).  Liberating Sápmi - Indigenous Resistance in Europe’s Far North. PM Press.

Hufvudstadsbladet (3.12.2023 – Swedish-speaking newspaper) asks the perceptive question if Finland will be the next Congo? (“Vi kommer atts kapa ett Kongo i Finland”). This links to Unit C2 on Nokia on blood minerals and Unit F4 on Talvivaara. For years, Finnish companies have been involved in conflict mineral extraction overseas. Logical to develop Finnish resources. But what about the indigenous rights of the Sami?

Yle. 13.4.2022. Sámi activists win fishing rights case.

But nothing is straightforward when it comes to indigenous rights:

Yle. 9.12.2022. Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission begins work.

Back in May the Sami Commissioner had resigned:

Yle. 10.5.2022. Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner steps down, cites lack of resources.

Yle. 10.11.2022. Sámi parliament law delayed again as Centre takes more time.

The North of the country, the Sámi homelands was the scene of clashes between the retreating Germans and the Finns towards the end of the Second World War. Until this they had been allies against the Soviet Union:

Seitsonen, O., et al. (2019). “Lapland’s Roadway”: German Photography and Experience of the European Far North in the Second World War. Photography and Culture 12(1): 5-24.

Seitsonen, O., and Lundemo, M. (2021). “Railroad of Death”: History and Archaeology of the German-built Second World War Hyrynsalmi–Kuusamo Railway 1942–1944. Tekniikan Waiheita 39(3): 34–59.

Koskinen-Koivisto, E., and Seitsonen, O. (2019). Landscapes of Loss and Destruction. Sámi Elders’ Childhood Memories of the Second World War. Ethnologia Europaea 49(1): 24–40.

Key Questions:

Aaltola et al., (2004). Towards the Geopolitics of Flows – Implications for Finland. Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) Report No.40:  promotes the geopolitical concept of flows that undermine territorial integrity. Finland’s proximity to the Arctic and maritime developments means that Finland can no longer be seen on the periphery but perhaps caught in the main highway towards the development of the Arctic. The leaders in this race are Russia… and China.

https://www.fiia.fi/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/fiia_report_40_web.pdf

There is awareness that Finland is increasingly dependent on China. Now this is an interesting conundrum – what happens to this significant trading partner when as a member of NATO, Finland will be called upon to support American intrigues in the Far East, e.g. Taiwan. Had it remained a non-aligned state and not joined NATO the question of involvement in American overseas adventures would not be relevant…

Finnish Government. (2023). On Finland’s trade dependencies on China. Publications of the Finnish Government No. 25, to be found on the Finnish Chamber of Commerce website:

https://www.finncham.fi/news/2023/3/10/on-finlands-trade-dependencies-on-china

Former Prime Minister Esko Aho, became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China Office of Finnish Industries…He was previously on the board of the Russian-owned Sberbank until the invasion of Ukraine…