I don't like to post unless I include pictures, so here are just some general photos from Jokkmokk and my time here. ...I tried to post these thoughts and observations with my last post, but for some reason I kept getting the message that I was making a "bad request" whatever that means....
We are learning so much, I sometimes feel overwhelmed and don't quite know how to process the wealth of information which gets projected on me. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful, but what do I do with it and how do I go about deciding what the meaning should be? We had the rare opportunity to have a very candid conversation with Nils- Gustav when we had our second "reindeer day." He told us how he does not think that democracy is the best thing for the minority and that he believes that the U.S would be better suited were they promoting gender equality in the Middle East, rather than trying to force democracy. This is fascinating and even a bit shocking to hear coming from the U.S where we are told that democracy is the best form of government, especially after watching Obama's State of the Union Address this week. (side note- I am again so embarrassed Michele Bachmann is not only from Minnesota but also from my district....but that's another matter...) Don't get me wrong, I do believe what Winston Churchill said when he stated, "Democracy is the worst form of government... except for all the rest." I am not trying to take a slam at democracy as a general form of government, but after talking to Nils- Gustav, I find myself wondering at what point democracy stops being effective for a smaller group of people, like the Sami.
The Sami culture is incredibly important to Nils- Gustav. He told us of how he has taught his children to speak Sami and has sent them to Sami school. It was clear that though he was obviously proud that his son is studying biology in Africa and his daughter wants to be a dancer, that he is worried they will not feel the same way about the culture that he does and they might not carry it with them like he does. He clearly feels very strongly that the indigenous people should have ownership of this land as they were here first. Yet, they are the ones whose resources are constantly taken away from them. I find myself comparing the Sami to Native Americans so often. In Sweden, the only people who are allowed to herd reindeer are the Sami, similar to the casino situation at home. There are so few Sami and even less still speak the language. Nils- Gustav at one point made the comment to me that though the Sami respect nature so much and conserve so many resources, they could still be doing more. What does that say for us? Living in a society which is quick to waste our resources and throw things away as soon as we deem them invaluable, I feel almost embarrassed to hear that a people like the Sami, who from what I can tell, waste nothing, feel they could still use less.
As of right now, the Sami are considered to be the property of the state, in the same sense that I am considered to be property of the United States. Were the Swedish Parliament to sign the ILO (International Labor Association) like Finland and Norway, the Sami would be granted more rights. Rights and resources would not be as easily taken away. Nils- Gustav doesn't understand why this has not been signed when because the document has been signed in Norway and Finland, life is better for the Sami living there. It seems obvious to me that this should be signed, just like there are things I see in American politics which seem obvious, yet they do not happen. What are we missing?
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