The Sámi parliament held sessions in Umeå

On the schedule was the account of the year, budget for the upcoming period, applications for strengthened funding and an international strategy. In total the Swedish Sámi Parliament is applying for an extra 150 million Swedish crowns in new funds from the next year and onward. During Wednesday a seminar on the Girjas case was organized. A proposition of harmonizing the Sámi Parliament elections days between Norway, Sweden and Finland was also up, but was put on hold without a final decision, for now.

The debate periodically became heated and a vote of no confidence for the president of the parliament was called for by one delegate, but never went to vote. At the end of the plenary sessions on Thursday afternoon a conflict between two of the leading parties in the parliament also took place, and the Forest Sami party threatened to leave the board, and would thereby leave the board without a majority, leaving the future of the board in an uncertain position. The next plenary sessions will be held in Stockholm at the end of May. The Sámi parliament also united behind a text calling for a parliamentary investigation on the rights of the Sámi people in Sweden, calling for immediate action from Swedish politicans after the Girjas case.

Arcum’s Oscar Sedholm participated in the meetings as part of his seat as elected representative in the parliament. At the traditional representative dinner was also Lena Maria Nilssson, participating as vice chair for Várdduo, but she is also part of the Arcum team.