Natural Resource Development in the Arctic and the Question of Saami Land Rights in Finland

The Arctic region is often described as a test laboratory and an early warning system with regard to climate change and its effects. According to the prevailing opinion, these effects are more pronounced in the Arctic region than in other parts of the world. It is necessary to find new ways of addressing the issue of climate change, such as with regard to energy production. The Arctic region is also seen as a significant place for natural resource exploitation, which can be problematic because there are areas in the region whose inhabitants still practice the livelihoods their ancestors had practised for hundreds of years. This chapter of the Handbook examines the utilisation of natural resources in Finnish Lapland and asks about the significance of the present Indigenous Saami People’s historic rights to the land and water resources of the region. This subject is approached from the point of view of justice, and the importance of traditional livelihoods, such as reindeer husbandry, among the many different forms of land use in the region, is considered in particular. The chapter also discusses problems regarding the recognition and registration of Saami in Finland. The chapter presents three case studies of wind power use, mining and deforestation that embody the complexity of historical knowledge, current land use issues and justice.