Parliament sáme of Norway

The Parliament sáme of Norway , or Sámediggi in Same, is an assembly elected sitting at Karasjok (“Kárášjohka” in sáme) in Lapland and installation in Norway to represent and treat businesses concerning the people Saami (or Lapp) in Norway. The Norwegian National Assembly, Storting, indeed established that the culture and the language sáme were to be regarded as having to receive a treatment equal to those granted to the Norwegian culture and language. The ethnic minority that constitute the Sáme people was considered to be particular in what it does not raise of a recent immigration, but which it is a clean component of the Norwegian State as well as the Norwegian language and culture.

Sámediggi was founded to be the instrument of this will of equitable treatment of the Sáme minority, and is in particular qualified in the fields of the language, the culture, industry and education. The traditional democratic institutions of the Norwegian State did not make it possible indeed to concretely meet this policy of equitable treatment of the minority.

Genesis

In the Années 1960 was done day the relative question with the river Alta-Kautokeino. The development plans presented gave, indeed, seriously the integrity of territories of it traditionally sámes causes, and threatening directly of flood the community of Masi, strong of some 200 people. Storting voted in 1973 the unconditional protection of Masi, but authorized in 1978 a stopping on the river. A petition of 15.000 signatures, a civil disobedience campaign and an hunger strike in full center of Oslo led to the adjournment of work. They will begin again in 1981 on legal decision of the Court of the district of Alta. New hunger strikes had in January place and February, which brought the suspension of work again. The Supreme court authorized the resumption of work however, under narrow police surveillance.

The authorities of Oslo reflect in place a Conseil of the rights sámes and a Conseil of the culture sáme to study the problems arising in Sámes by the project. The Council of the rights sámes gave his recommendations in 1984, which were at the base of the decision of Storting in 1987 to establish Sámedeggi.

The creation of Sámediggi was confirmed by the article 110a of the Norwegian Constitution. Sámediggi was inaugurated the October 9th 1989 by King Olav V of Norway.

Organization of Sámediggi

Plenary session

Sitting four times the year, it is made up of the 39 elected representatives. It is the legislative assembly of the Parliament.

The Presidium

Composed of five of the delegates, it with the load of the management of the plenary sessions and the external delegations.

The Committee of control

Indicated by the plenary session, it supervises the activity of this one and checks that she remains within the budgetary and political framework fixed.

The Council of Sámediggi

It is the Government of Sámediggi. Its members are five, and are selected within the majority of Sámediggi. It has in load the political activities and of management current. It subjects to him with the plenary session proposals with the vote. The Council of Sámediggi meets 10 to 12 times per annum.

Other institutions

the Office of subsidies
the Office of the language

Political groups

Groups of the majority:

National association of Sámes Norwegian (14 elected officials)
Résidents Sámes of the South of Norway (1 elected official)
Liste of the South-Country sáme (1 elected official)
Centrist party (1 elected official)

Groups of the opposition:

Workers party (13 elected officials)
Union of the election Sáme (2 elected officials)
List of the permanent residents of Kautokeino (1 elected official)
List of the nomads Sámes (1 elected officials)
Preserving (1 elected official)
Midtre Nordland Sijda (1 elected official)

The election of Sámediggi

This one is renewed touts the four years, at the time of the Norwegian legislative elections. It took place for the first time in 1989.

The electoral register Sáme

The purpose of this register was made up right from the start and is to allow any person considered as Sáme to take part in the poll. Any Norwegian individual Sáme of more than 18 years can be registered there. In the same way for any Swedish Sáme citizen or Finnish registered on the registers of population on March 31st of the electoral year. The Russian citizens Sámes recorded for 3 years have also had access at least there.

To be registered on this register, the citizens must:

to regard themselves as " Sámi" ;
to declare is:

a) that they speak Sáme on their premises, or which at least one of their parents, grandparents or back grandparents speaks it;
b) that at least one their parents itself is recorded like " sami".

Importance of the electoral register Sáme

1989 : 5.497 individuals
1993: 7.236 individuals
1997: 8.667 individuals
2001: 9.923 individuals
2005: 12.475 individuals

Electoral districts of Sámediggi

Those are 13 and cover the whole of the Norwegian territory. The surface of those increases in the southernmost districts, where Sámes are very few. North in the south:

Varanger
Tanned
Karasjok
Kautokeino
Porsanger
Alta/Kvalsund
North-Troms
average Troms
South-Troms
Northern Nordland
average Nordland
South-area Sáme
South-Norway

The budget of Sámediggi

The budget of Sámediggi is made up only of the sums granted by Strorting. The Sáme Parliament is in theory free to deliver the amounts which it has in agreement with its competences. Those go in majority to existing projects, and it was only not very permissible to develop new policies. Sámediggi manages approximately half of the budgets related to the programs Sámes in Norway, various ministries depending on the Central government managing the balance of the Sámes budgets.

Between 1998 and 2003, there no was growth of the budget of Sámediggi. Over this same period, the budget of the Norwegian State has believed him of 37%.

Administration of Sámediggi

The administration of Sámediggi fills triple role of relation between the public and his representatives:

an administrative framework with the programs implemented under the authority of the Parliament sáme;
parliamentary administration of Sámediggi
the political secretariat of the Council of Sámediggi

Within Sámediggi, the Parliament, its political body and its administration, are gathered in only one organization. The Administration is thus in charge of many and varied tasks, as well with regard to the public as on a political level. It is structured in seven departments and account a hundred employees. It has offices with Karasjok, Kautokeino, Nesseby, Tromsø, Tysfjord and Snåsa.

The parliamentary Council Sáme

The parliamentary Council Sáme is a co-operative authority installation by the three Sáme Parliaments, of Norway, Finland and Sweden. The Sáme Council and Sámes of Russia take share as observers there. It was instituted on March 2nd, 2000.

The role of this authority is the Sáme representation on the international scene and in all businesses sámes requiring a catch in consideration across the borders.

The parliamentary Council Sáme is thus an active authority near the Arctic Conseil, of the Coopération of Barents, Interreg and work of the the United Nations devoted to the minorities. It is also interested in the problems of culture, language and art sáme.

The Committee of the Sáme language

The Committee of the Sáme language was established in 1971. It is about a consulative authority intended to promote the language sáme, and to try to harmonize its statute in the four countries where she is spoken. Its offices are established in those of the department of the language of Sámediggi with Kautokeino.

Meet ministers sámes and presidents of the Parliaments sámes

Founded in 2000, these meetings are held once per annum, in order to discuss common problems, and to seek to standardize the statute of Sámes in the various countries where they are present. The three presidents of Parliament also meet when they consider it necessary.

The building of Sámediggi

The building sheltering Sámediggi with Karasjok was officially inaugurated on November 2nd, 2000 by the king Harald V of Norway. Its architects were Stein Halvorsen and Christian Sunbdy, whose project was selected among 47 other in March 1996 proposals. Construction was spread out August 1998 in June 1999.

The building is presented in the form of a half-circle on two floors, including/understanding the library, the reception, five meeting rooms and of many offices. With the one of the ends of the half-circle the room of the plenary assembly is, sheltered by a building in form of tipi. The building is in particular equipped with facilities in link-word telematics and data-processing networks.

The building includes/understands two works of art of importance: “Luotta”, by Hild Skancke Pedersen in the room of the plenary assemblies, and various representations of proverbs sámes are the work of Kristin Ytreberg.

The building offers an total surface area of 5.300 m ³, and cost the sum of 128.700.000 NOK.

In 2001, the building received the national trophy of architecture: the “Statens byggeskikkspris”, as well as the Price of architecture of septentrional Norway in 2002. During the attribution of these prices, the integration of a modern architecture with the culture sáme was underlined.

See too

Internal bonds

the Parliament sáme of Finland to Inari, Utsjoki and Sodankylä
the Parliament sáme of Sweden to Kiruna, Jokkmokk and Östersund.
Institutions sámes in Russia

External bonds

http://www.samediggi.no/
http://www.sametinget.no/
http://www.sametinget.se/
http://www.samediggi.fi/

Reference

“Sámediggi - the Sámi Parliament, The elected assembly off the Sámi people”: Sámediggi Sametinget.

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