Sápmi and Its Cultural History: Six Years After the Girjas Judgment—Where Do We Stand Today?

Reindeer herder and President of the Swedish Sámi National Association (SSR), Matti Blind Berg, reflects on the landmark Girjas judgment and the challenges that remain today. In 2020, the Swedish Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Girjas Sámi community, granting it the authority to administer small game hunting and fishing within its territory. The judgment has become a widely celebrated legal precedent while also generating considerable debate. Six years on, what is the current situation? What have been the concrete consequences of the judgment, and what lies ahead?

It was during Matti Blind Berg’s tenure as President of the Swedish Sámi National Association that the Girjas Sámi community secured its historic victory over the state’s control of small game hunting and fishing within its territory. The Supreme Court’s ruling established that, on the basis of the legal principle of immemorial prescription, the Girjas Sámi community—and not the state—has the right to decide when, how, and by whom small game hunting and fishing may take place on its lands. Among other things, this enables the community to restrict hunting and fishing during particularly sensitive periods, such as the reindeer calving season in May and the calf-marking period in July. Until 2020, permits for hunting and fishing within the Girjas Sámi community were issued by the County Administrative Board; since the judgment, these decisions have been made by the Sámi community itself. The ruling established an important legal precedent and prompted several other Sámi communities to bring similar cases against the Swedish state. To date, however, no further judgments have been delivered.

Matti Blind Berg is a reindeer herder in the Girjas Sámi community and President of Sámiid Riikkasearvi / the Swedish Sámi National Association (SSR). He lives in Puoltsa, in Kiruna Municipality, and has his roots in the Girjas Sámi community, where he previously served as Chair. At various times, he has also been a member of the Sámi Parliament for the Sámi Land Party (Samelandspartiet), the political branch of SSR.

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