Fighting to be herd

The report argues that the proposed Boliden copper mine in Laver would effectively end traditional Sami reindeer herding for the Semisjaur Njarg community by destroying critical winter pastures. Through scenario analysis, the document demonstrates that the mine would force herders into either unsustainable 'reindeer farming' based on artificial feeding or the total abandonment of the area, both of which threaten intergenerational succession and the survival of the critically endangered Pite Sami language. The report further highlights a systemic failure in the Swedish permitting process to recognize indigenous property rights and the cumulative effects of multiple land encroachments, such as wind farms and forestry, which leave the community at a breaking point.

• The proposed Boliden mine in Laver is located on the Semisjaur Njarg community's winter grazing pastures, which are described as a "bottleneck" for reindeer herding.
• A scenario analysis indicates that if the mine is established, traditional Sami reindeer herding based on free grazing in the Laver area would no longer be possible.
• One potential outcome of the mine is a shift to 'reindeer farming,' where herders must provide artificial feeding (pellets) for two to three months each winter, which the community views as a fundamental deviation from Sami culture.
• Artificial feeding leads to unsustainable workloads, with herders spending approximately six times as many hours on feeding and monitoring as they would on natural pastures.
• The loss of traditional herding practices in Laver would likely end the intergenerational succession of the Pite Sami language, which is classified as 'critically endangered' and spoken by fewer than five families.
• The Gällivare Forest Sami community's experience with Boliden's Aitik mine serves as a comparator, showing that such projects can force herders to leave the profession due to pasture shortages and unsustainable workloads.
• The report identifies a 'domino effect' where cumulative pressures from the mine, wind farms (such as Markbygden), and forestry lead more herders to abandon the practice.
• The Swedish mining permit process is criticized for being fragmented and failing to require the free, prior and informed consent of affected indigenous societies.
• The report concludes that the Laver mine would result in significant breaches of the Semisjaur Njarg community's property rights and individual herders' right to culture.
• Climate change is exacerbating the vulnerability of reindeer herding by creating unpredictable snow and ice conditions that block access to pastures.

APA

Lawrence, R., & Larsen, R. K. (2019). Fighting to be herd. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sei-report-fighting-to-be-herd-300419.pdf

Chicago

Lawrence, Rebecca, and Rasmus Kløcker Larsen. Fighting to be herd. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sei-report-fighting-to-be-herd-300419.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lawrence |first1=Rebecca |last2=Larsen |first2=Rasmus Kløcker |title=Fighting to be herd |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=April 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sei-report-fighting-to-be-herd-300419.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lawrence2019fighting, author = {Lawrence, Rebecca and Larsen, Rasmus Kløcker}, title = {{Fighting to be herd}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sei-report-fighting-to-be-herd-300419.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }