NEWS -It feels good to be finished, says Krister Stoor, researcher at Várdduo - Centre for Sámi Research and, since 2023, a member of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People. On 30 September, the Commission submitted its final report during a ceremony in Staare (Östersund). Following several years of work documenting Sámi experiences of Swedish state policies, the submission marked an important milestone in Sweden’s efforts towards truth, redress, and reconciliation.
Following the ceremony in Staare, Krister Stoor (right), of Várdduo/Sámi Studies and a member of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People since 2023, relaxes with Jon Petter Stoor (left), a Sámi health researcher at Umeå University.
ImageLena Maria NilssonUmeå University has been strongly represented throughout the Commission’s work. Krister Stoor, a researcher affiliated with Várdduo and Sámi Studies at the Department of Language Studies, and a Commission member since 2023, attended the ceremony in Staare. Anna-Lill Drugge, Associate Professor of Sámi Studies at the Department of Language Studies and a Commission member since 2022, highlighted the central role of education in the reconciliation process in her address. She emphasised that knowledge of Sámi history, culture, and rights is a fundamental prerequisite for long-term understanding and reconciliation.
Anna-Lill Drugge, Associate Professor of Sámi Studies at Umeå University, delivers her address at the ceremony in Staare, emphasizing the vital role of education in the reconciliation process.
ImageLena Maria NilssonThe ceremony also featured a number of contributions that gave voice to the testimonies collected during the Commission’s work. Marja Skum, Patricia Fjellgren, and Lena Kroik presented narratives based on documented testimonies. They were three of the eleven individuals involved in collecting, analysing, and documenting Sámi experiences as part of the Commission’s work.
One of the most powerful moments of the ceremony came when Commission Chair Lena Nyberg formally handed over the final reports to representatives of Sáminuorra, the Sámi Youth Organisation. In their response, Mirja Fjellgren Utsi, Tyra Fjellgren, and Ella Kristoffersson turned their attention to the future. With clear and concrete calls for change, they stressed that the report’s recommendations must now be translated into action. Their speech was met with a standing ovation from the audience.
At the ceremony, Lena Nyberg, Chair of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People, handed over the Commission’s final reports to three representatives of the Sámi youth organisation Sáminuorra: Mirja Fjellgren Utsi, Tyra Fjellgren, and Ella Kristoffersson.
ImageLena Maria NilssonThe submission of the final report marks the completion of the Commission’s mandate. At the same time, it signals the beginning of a new phase: transforming the knowledge contained in the testimonies and recommendations into concrete measures that promote justice, understanding, and reconciliation.
For Umeå University and its staff, particularly through Várdduo - Centre for Sámi Research, this means a continued responsibility to contribute through research, education, and knowledge development in close dialogue with Sámi communities.
