”What local people?” En studie om gruvmotståndsrörelsen i Kallak

Summary, in English

The mining industry is going through an all-time high in Sweden. Sweden is the European Union´s leading producer of iron ore and is seen as a great resource for the Union´s demand of minerals. The country´s low mining taxes and fees have made Sweden attractive for international mining companies. During the last few years there has been a great increase in mining projects in the country, especially in the northern part where most of the minerals can be found. A result of this is that there has been a rise of both local and national movements, fighingt against such land exploitations. They are movements with traditional environmental motives but are also fighting for the rights of the indigenous people and other local people´s right to self determination. In the summer of 2013 Swedish media were flooded by news about a struggle against a mine in the region where the indigenous people, the Samis, traditionally lives. Activists were blockading the road that leads to the concession area for two and a half months. The struggle against the mine had existed several years before the blockade and it is still going on. The struggle in Kallak is a symbol of the national resistance movement against mines in Sweden. This thesis studies the movement of Kallak with the purpose to analyze its origin and development.

• Author: Emma Strid
• Department/s: Human Ecology
• Publishing year: 2014
• Language: Swedish
• Full text: Available as PDF - 803 kB; Download statistics
• Document type: Student publication for Bachelor's degree
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Keywords: world-system theory; ecological distribution conflicts; political ecology; environmental movement; Sápmi; Kallak; mines; minerals
• Supervisor: Pernille Gooch