#ChurchOfSweden apologizes, embarks on reconciliation with #Indigenous #SámiPeople

Apology comes as government [of #Sweden] continues to fight #Sámi communities in court

by John Last · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2021

"In #Uppsala Cathedral, the heart of Swedish Christianity, Archbishop Antje Jackelén sat this week before a circle of Sámi leaders in traditional dress and the television cameras of Sweden's state broadcaster, listing the past crimes of her church.

"'You have told us about forced Christianization and Swedish #colonialism. Sámi culture was denied,' Jackelén said, in Swedish. 'Today, we acknowledge this and, on behalf of the Church of Sweden, I apologize.'

"Wednesday's apology service in Uppsala, the culmination of more than 30 years of discussions and advocacy, marked a major step forward for reconciliation in Sweden, where the Indigenous Sámi people continue to fight for self-determination and recognition of past wrongs committed by church and state.

"Having studied the Canadian experience of reconciliation, church and Sámi figures alike emphasized that the apology must be followed by concrete actions, and came with no expectation of forgiveness."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/church-of-sweden-sami-indigenous-1.6263595

#CulturalGenocide #TruthAndReconciliation #IndigenousEuropeans #Samediggi

#Norway truth commission details country's dark history of #assimilation

'Norway does not have a history to be proud of' on minority rights, commissioner says

"In state-run #BoardingSchools, minority languages were forbidden, leading to their steep decline. Repeatedly, entire villages [of #Sami and #Finnish-speaking peoples] were forcibly relocated, with devastating results for culture."

by John Last · CBC News · Posted: Jun 02, 2023

"In an ornate assembly hall of the Storting, Norway's parliament, Dagfinn Hoybraten, chair of the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, presented his work of the last five years.

"'The truth is, Norway does not have a history to be proud of when it comes to the treatment of its minorities,' he said Thursday.

"Before national media and dignitaries from Norway's minority groups, Hoybraten formally tabled the commission's final report, detailing the impacts of a 'comprehensive assimilation policy' — known as Norwegianization — which pursued 'the fastest possible linguistic and cultural assimilation' of #Indigenous and #Finnish-descended minorities over more than a century.

"'This dark side of Norwegian history has continued to cast shadows into our own time,' Hoybraten said. 'It is now time for a settlement regarding the nation's injustice'"

"Norway's commission took direct inspiration from Canada's process, with members visiting the National Centre for #TruthAndReconciliation in Winnipeg to study how the commission operated.

"The Norwegian commission's work has not been without controversy. Before the publication of the final report, several groups expressed concerns that the commission was too secretive about its work, and feared its recommendations would lack real teeth.

"Yet community leaders present at Thursday's ceremony generally voiced cautious optimism about the 700-page final report. 'I'm very excited,' said Kai Petter Johansen, leader of the Norwegian Kven Association, a linguistic minority group.

"'I think that it is promising,' said Runar Myrnes Balto, a member of the governing council of Norway's #Samediggi or Sami Parliament. 'I think it's important now that the parliament, quickly, invites us to a meeting, to talk about the best possible way to take the next steps.'

"The Sami are Europe's only recognized Indigenous group, occupying a broad swathe of Arctic territory spanning from Norway to Russia. Norway is home to their largest community, comprising around 65,000 people."

Read more:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/norway-indigenous-sami-truth-commission-final-report-1.6862471

#SamiPeople #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #IndigenousEuropeans