Introduction

The Sámi people live in the northern parts of Scandinavia and Russia and, as is true for many other indigenous people, their traditional activities are often carried out within national parks and other areas of nature protection. Nature conservation and governance in relation to indigenous rights have, however, been designed in completely different ways in the countries where the Sámi live. This has created tensions between the countries involved as well as in relation to other ethnic groups and within the Sámi population. The Sámi landscape is therefore comparable to other indigenous landscapes throughout the world.