📍Repparfjord: When profit buries tradition
In northern Norway, the Sámi community is fighting to protect Repparfjord (Riehppovuotna)—a vital reindeer migration area and part of their ancestral lands. A copper mine, approved by the Norwegian government, now threatens not just the fjord’s fragile marine life, but also Sámi cultural survival.
⛏️ The Nussir ASA copper mine, backed by the state, plans to dump 2 million tonnes of mining waste into Repparfjord—a fjord that’s a known spawning ground for cod (Skjæran et al., 2018). Despite strong environmental objections, the project has been greenlit.