The Importance for Indigenous Peoples of the Rights to 'the Lands Which They Traditionally Occupy': The Case of the Sámi

Abstract

"The question of why it is important to the Sámi people to get property rights to 'the lands which they traditionally occupy' needs to be based on an understanding of what property rights to land, or land tenure, means in a modern capitalist society as well as in a traditional customary law society. The present discussion will not be exhaustive, but will emphasise those parts of the theme which may help us understand the situation in Finnmark. The answer offered is that for the Sámi people property rights to their traditional lands are important because it gives them, in a capitalist society, better control of the future uses of the resources in their lands."