Five people have left the Truth Commission during the autumn. A total of nine people, both members, secretaries and former chairpersons, have now resigned from the state investigation whose purpose is to examine policies that have been carried out towards the Sami in a historical perspective and its consequences.
The appointed members seem to have difficulty both cooperating and interpreting the government’s directives, and now Sami and Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand (M) is commenting on the autumn’s turbulence.
– We now see that there are cooperation difficulties within the group, interpretations in how to look at the directives and this is information that the government is now taking on board, she says.
“Working to analyze”
It was in June 2022 that members were appointed for the Truth Commission and the first one left already in the same month. Liljestrand confirms that the criticism received by the Ministry of Culture will be used as a basis for future recruitments.
– The government’s tool in this type of investigation is the directives. We are currently working there to analyze and look at what has happened, to also look at how we should continue the work going forward.
“Difficult issues to deal with”
The majority of the members recruited come from different academic backgrounds, some with extensive experience of Sami issues and some without.
Member Marie B. Hagsgård, has previously spoken Sami Radiothat she thinks there is a lack of cultural competence in the management – but that it would be a case of inadequate recruitment, Liljestrand does not believe.
– I think that all the people who have been relevant and both sit on the commission now and have done so in the past, have had very good reasons for accepting and all have had good ambitions. But then these are difficult issues to handle and process and the matter is, in many ways, sensitive and we must also have respect for that.
The government must now look at the information that has been received so that the mission can continue forward. The assignment must be completed by December 1, 2025 at the latest.