DoomsdaysCW#Sweden’s plans to mine #RareEarthMinerals could ruin the lives of #IndigenousSami reindeer herders
By STEFANIE DAZIO and MALIN HAARALA, September 7, 2025
KIRUNA, Sweden (AP) — "High atop the #LuossavaaraMountain in northern Sweden, Sami reindeer herder Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen mapped out a bleak future for himself and other #IndigenousPeople whose reindeer have roamed this land for thousands of years.
"An expanding iron-ore mine and a deposit of rare-earth minerals are fragmenting the land and altering ancient reindeer migration routes. But with the Arctic warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, herders say they need more geographic flexibility, not less, to ensure the animals’ survival.
"If a mine is established at the deposit of rare-earth minerals called Per Geijer, which Sweden heralds as Europe’s largest, Kuhmunen said it could completely cut off the migration routes used by the Sami village of #Gabna.
"That would be the end of the Indigenous way of life for Kuhmunen, his children and their fellow Sami reindeer herders, he said, in this far-north corner of Sweden some 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle.
" 'The reindeer is the fundamental base of the Sami culture in Sweden,' Kuhmunen said. 'Everything is founded around the reindeers: The food, the language, the knowledge of mountains. Everything is founded around the reindeer herding. If that ceases to exist, the Sami culture will also cease to exist.'
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"Mining could reduce dependence on China but hurt Sami herders
"Swedish officials and #LKAB, the state-owned mining company, say the proposed Per Geijer mine could reduce Europe’s reliance on China for rare-earth minerals. LKAB hopes to begin mining there in the 2030s.
"Besides being essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles, rare-earth minerals also are considered crucial to shifting the economy away from fossil fuels toward electricity and renewable energy.
"But if work on #PerGeijer goes forward, Kuhmunen said there will be no other routes for the #Gabna herders to take the reindeer east from the mountains in the summer to the grazing pastures full of nutrient-rich lichen in the winter.
"The village will contest the mine in court but Kuhmunen said he is not optimistic.
" 'It’s really difficult to fight a mine. They have all the resources, they have all the means. They have the money. We don’t have that,' Kuhmunen said. 'We only have our will to exist. To pass these grazing lands to our children.'
"Darren Wilson, LKAB’s senior vice president of special products, said the mining company is seeking solutions to assist the Sami herders, though he would not speculate on what they might be."
#CulturalGenocide #RecycleRareEarthMetals #IronRecycling #NoMiningWithoutConsent #LandIsLife #IndigenousPeople #IndigenousNews #SamiHerders
Sweden's plans to mine rare-earth minerals could ruin the lives of Indigenous Sami reindeer herders
An expanding iron-ore mine and a deposit of rare-earth minerals are fragmenting the land in northern Sweden and altering ancient reindeer migration routes. But with the Arctic warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, Sami Indigenous reindeer herders say they need more geographic flexibility to ensure the animals’ survival. If a mine is established at the deposit of rare-earth minerals that Sweden heralds as Europe’s largest, one reindeer herder says it could completely cut off the migration routes used by the Sami village of Gabna some 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.