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© Samiskt Informationscentrum |
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Despite being taxed and forcibly converted to Christianity, the Sami were viewed as unpredictable by the Swedish state. Their mobility as nomads was threatening and they could not safeguard the state's claim to the territory in the north. For the state there was only one way out: Swedish farmers would have to move to the wilderness and cultivate it. With a settled farming population, they knew what they had, and this meant that they could claim territorial rights to the land. Claim territory However, there was little interest among Swedes in moving north. As long ago as the 16th century, King Gustav Vasa had been interested in encouraging people to move to the wilderness in the north. However, the event that really awakened the interest of the Swedish state in colonising the Sami region was the discovery of silver in Nasafjäll in 1634. With a silver mine in the Sami region, it became even more important to claim it as Swedish territory. The Lappmark Proclamation So what should be done to attract settlers to the north? The solution was the Lappmark Proclamation of 1673. This stipulated that anybody who settled in the Sami region would be granted tax exemption for 15 years and would not have to serve as a soldier in any war. The latter offer was a very attractive promise, because Sweden was often at war at that time. As the Sami's contribution to the public treasury was considered to be significant, it was stipulated that settlers were not allowed to disturb the Sami in the exercise of their trade, nor to colonise land in their Lapp tax lands, but only land that was considered to be unused. Sami forced back The Lappmark Proclamation was renewed in 1695. In this new version it was emphasised that the settlers should clear arable and pasture land, and that excess burn-beating should not occur. In Kemi Lappmark, the influx of settlers had entailed major problems for the Sami. That was the destination for the majority of the settlers, and they burn-beat the land as they advanced. Hunting and fishing were still the most important trades for the Sami in Kemi Lappmark, and burn-beating caused the game to disappear. The Sami complained time and again in the courts, and as the lay assessors were still Sami at this time, their complaints were met with understanding. The settlers were fined and ordered to cease with the burn-beating, but this did not help. During subsequent centuries, the Sami in Kemi Lappmark were consequently forced off their land. The Lappmark Regulation The state eventually realised that it was necessary to clarify the division of trades between settlers and Sami. The Lappmark Regulation therefore followed in 1749. In this it was determined that the settlers should primarily devote themselves to farming and the keeping of livestock. To ensure that they did not encroach too much on the Sami's trades, they should not spend too much time hunting. However, they were entitled to fish in the Sami fishing waters. The hunting and fishing rights extended for a radius of 5 km around the colony, although hayfields could be owned further away. The colonial rights were now also opened up to the Sami. Different trades Those in authority considered that Sami and settlers should be able to live side by side without problem, as they would be pursuing different occupations. The Sami would live from hunting, fishing and reindeer herding, while the settlers would live from farming and keeping livestock. In reality, it was not possible to live from farming alone in the harsh climate. Conflicts Up until the middle of the 18th century, the Sami still held a relatively strong position in the Sami region. The Sami won most of the court disputes with settlers over land. Reindeer herding was considered an important trade, alongside the settlers' agriculture and keeping of livestock. The conflicts increased as more settlers moved into the area. The Sami were forced to watch as the colonisers settled down on Lapp tax lands. Conflicts concerning fishing lakes were particularly common in the courts. By now the settlers had established themselves beside a Sami fishing lake, and the original owner no longer had access to the lake. The fact that a fishing lake lay on the Sami person's tax land was often not sufficient. The Sami could not prevent the settler from setting up home there. The settlers in turn accused the Sami of allowing their reindeer to tear down hay drying-racks and trample on vegetation. The authorities' view of land rights changed after the middle of the 18th century, and from then on the Sami increasingly lost disputes with the settlers in court. Senast ändrad: 2006-09-08 |
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