Unpredictable Consequences of Sa?mi Self-determination: Rethinking the legal protection of Sa?mi cultural heritage in Norway

• Author: Marit Myrvoll, Alma Thuestad, Elin Rose Myrvoll, Inger Marie Holm-Olsen
• Pages: 28-48

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Unpredictable Consequences of

Sámi Self-determination: Rethinking

the legal protection of Sámi cultural

heritage in Norway

Marit Myrvoll, Alma Thuestad, Elin Rose Myrvoll and Inger Marie Holm-

Olsen

Marit Myrvoll, PhD Social Anthropology. High North Depa rtment, Norwegian

Institute for Cultural Herit age Research. E-mail: marit.myrvoll@niku .no.

Alma Thuestad, C and. Philol. Archaeology. High Nort h Department, Norwegian

Institute for Cultural Herit age Research. E-mail: alma.thuestad@niku .no.

Elin Rose Myr voll, Mag. Art. Archaeology. High Nor th Depar tment, Nor wegian

Institute for Cultural Herit age Research. E-mail: elin.myrvoll@niku.no.

Inger Marie Holm-Olsen, Mag. Art. Archaeology. High North Department, Norwegian

Institute for Cultural Herit age Research. E-mail: inger.m.holm-olsen@niku.no.

Received September 2011, accepted November 2011

Abstract: Sámi cultural heritage is protected in Norway by the Cultural Heritage

Act. A 1978 amendment to this Act prov ides automatic protection to all Sámi

cultural heritage sites and buildings older than 100 years. Strong legal protec-

tion has in a ver y positive and constructive way contr ibuted to Sámi identity

and cultu ral self-determination for more than 30 years . is article discusses

the current level of protection and dierent scenarios for future management

of Sámi cultural heritage sites and buildings. Background material includes e

Arctic Review o n Law and Politics, vol. 3, 1/2012 p. 30–50 . ISSN 1891-6252

unpre dictabl e conse quences of sá mi self -dete rminatio n

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Norwegian National Sites and Monuments Record, relevant policy documents, and

interviews with Sámi cultural heritage management and th ree Sámi munici-

palities. Our re sults demonstrate that strong legislation for protection of Sámi

cultural her itage, and thus in favour of Sám i cultural rights, c an contribute to

severe restrictions on future planning and development in local communities.

e intent to protect Sám i cultural heritage sites, pa radoxically, may in future

threaten traditional Sá mi land use.

Key words: Sámi, cultura l heritage, cu ltural heritage management, Norwegian

Cultural Heritage Act (1978), protected sites, Nordland, Troms, Finnmark.

1. Introduction

Both t he legislation for and consequent management of Sámi cu ltural heritage

in Norway are a succe ss story. e Norweg ian Parliament pas sed the rst Act

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protecting cultura l heritage in general in 1905, thereby issuing automatic protec-

tion to cultu ral heritage sites older than 1537 AD. In 1978 an a mendment to the

Norwegian Cultural Heritage Act provided automatic protection to Sámi cultural

heritage sites and ar tefacts older than 100 years.2 e i mplication of these provi-

sions is that the Norweg ian Parliament ha s, in fact , evaluated cu ltural heritage

sites and deemed those older than 1537 AD and Sámi sites older than 100 years to

be of national value.3 Part of the reasoning behind the cu rrent 100-year limit was

the fac t that Sámi cultural heritage oen is attached to “abandoned functional

elements” in the Sámi society. Another weighty argument for the extensive protec-

tion of Sámi cultural heritage sites was the lack of written sources concerning the

Sámi past. Cultu ral heritage is an important part of Sámi cu lture,4 and Sámi his-

tory and cultural heritage were considered vulnerable and under represented. e

Norwegian authorities hence decided on extensive legal protection. e authorities

wanted to protect all cultura l heritage sites that no longer served a function in Sámi

culture, i ncluding elements that quite recent ly were functional in Sámi society.5

e time limit for automatic protection was therefore made relative and applicable

to al l Sámi cu ltural heritage sites, buildings and artefacts older than 100 yea rs.

1. Lov om fredni ng og bevaring av fortid slevninger.

2. Act of 9 June 1978 Concerning the Cultu ral Heritage. e rst Act protecting cultura l heritage

in Norway was adopted by the Norwegia n Parliament in 1905 (Lov om fredning og be varing

av fortidsle vninger).

3. Kahn 200 7: 130.

4. Schanche 2001: 56.

5. White Paper (Ot. prp.) no. 7 (1977–1978).