Three years ago, the Church of Sweden apologized for historical injustices against the Sami people. Forestry, and its impact on reindeer husbandry, was also brought up in connection with the apology.
In April 2023, Göran Enander was commissioned to investigate the sustainability of the Church of Sweden’s forestry. On Wednesday, the final report was presented at a press conference.
There he concludes, among other things, that the principle of free and informed prior consent, FPIC, should be proposed to be introduced into the church order.
– Management of lands is central to the work of reconciliation and if the church is unable to adapt its activities to that, then there will be no weight in the work of reconciliation. Forestry needs reindeer husbandry to be adapted, says Göran Enander and continues:
– What we mean is that there should be sparser forests, more or less no land preparation, migration routes should be taken into account and then areas with hanging lichens should be saved.
In the investigation, it is possible to read, among other things:
“Forestry in the northern dioceses must be adapted to the needs of reindeer husbandry. Through an agreement, organizations with connections to the Sami people must be able to use the church’s forest to collect handicraft materials. Sacred places for the Sami must be exempted completely from forestry and these places must be managed jointly by the Sami and the church”.
It is also proposed to dismantle Contortatall, which has been described as a threat to wildlife and forestry.
– It is an important signal for the reindeer industry, says Enander.
The text is updated: