The Arctic Railway Project: A Socio-Legal Review of the Encroachment of the Homeland of the Indigenous Sámi

This article provides a socio-legal review of the Arctic Railway project, which aims to connect Norway’s northernmost coast to the Finnish railway system. The research addresses the legal and political implications of railway planning, particularly when it encroaches on the Sámi Homeland in Finland. The article examines the framework of railway planning, which is driven mainly by security politics and industrial interests. The research draws on various sources, including stakeholder interviews, a round-table discussion, legislation, and reports. The study highlights the need for discussion on, firstly, how to ensure that the interests of all the parties are considered and, secondly, that the project is developed sustainably, justly, and in compliance with the law. The article argues that regardless of whether the railway project extends to the Sámi Homeland or not, the state should consider how to build trust in local communities. Strengthening the land use rights of Indigenous peoples would be one way to improve state-citizen relations in the Sámi Homeland.