Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INREPOSA (Indigenous Research, Institutionalisation and Neo-Politicisation: A Conjunctural Analysis of Sami Research in Finland)
Période du rapport: 2019-05-15 au 2021-05-14
INREPOSA’s main research objectives are to build a better understanding of (a) how this conjuncture of institutionalization and neo-politicisation has affected the production of knowledge on the Sámi; (b) what are its implications for research-based policy, political decision-making and public debate relating to the Sámi; and (c) what are the new challenges that Sámi research as a discipline committed to Indigenous decolonization and self-determination is facing in the present conjuncture. The project is grounded in conjunctural approach developed by Stuart Hall, who examined how complex social forces and trajectories come together in particular moments, transfiguring the political terrain, and used such analysis for the purposes of political struggle. The project employs this approach in an Indigenous context, to study the political terrain of Indigenous Sámi research and the impact of research on public debate and state policies in the context of Sámi rights in Finland. In addition, the project’s aim is to test the relevance of Settler Colonial Theory for understanding the Finnish state’s policies in the Sámi region.
The research shows how, since the early 2000s and especially during the 2010s, Sámi research has become a central arena where a number of conflicts over Sámi identity, voice, political representation and self-determination are actively fought over. In addition, it shows how especially research which has sought to problematize Sámi identity and raise questions about “who is Sámi” in the center of political and public discussion, has proved strikingly efficient in affecting political decision-making and actual state policies in Finland. Instead of promoting sustainability, selective reliance on such has, however, promoted ultimately unsustainable policies as the UN Human Rights Committee’s decisions in regard to the Tiina Sanila-Aikio vs. Finland case demonstrate. As such, INREPOSA problematizes the idea that academic knowledge could be used as a value-free, neutral basis for sustainable policy making, devoid of political baggage. Instead, it points towards the continued need to bring attention to, and create awareness, of the political and social contexts of knowledge production, also in the context of research which identifies itself as Indigenous Sámi research that is dedicated to Sámi decolonization and self-determination. In terms of the discipline of Sámi research, the case problematizes the continued viability of defining Sámi research ethico-politically, as “research which proceeds from a Sámi perspective, or takes it to account”.
INREPOSA’s main publication results include one co-authored book chapter, three single-authored book chapters and one single-authored journal article. In addition, the research has been disseminated through participation in 10 international conferences, two keynote lectures and various other presentations in academic seminars and workshops.
The project has created a better understanding of the complex relationships between politics, research, public debate and state policy, and how these are articulated especially in the context of Indigenous Sámi research in Finland. In addition, it has opened new spaces for international comparison between struggles over Sámi identity in Finland and in other settler colonial locations.