The Sámi politician: “Sámi are not Swedes”

Published 10 December 2024 at 09.42

Cultural news. Niklas Sarri, municipal association chairman for the Sweden Democrats in Kiruna and a Sami himself, creates headlines by stating that the Sami are not Swedes. He thus gives the SD profile Björn Söder the right.

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– Sami are not Swedes, and that is because we are Sami, says Niklas Sarri to Expressen and emphasizes that Sami identity is unique and separate from Swedish.

Sarri believes that his statement is self-evident and based on both historical and cultural facts. He refers to the UN's declaration of indigenous peoples and emphasizes that the Sami, as one of Sweden's five recognized minorities, have a special right to preserve their culture and traditions.

– I am Swedish by nationality, but my culture – and the perception of identity is Sami, he says.

Niklas Sarri also criticizes the reindeer husbandry law. It is unreasonable for a small group to have a monopoly on reindeer husbandry, he says.