Migrant Tales comment: Today’s news that Parliament’s constitutional committee voted against the Sámi Parliament Act is a big blow to Europe’s only indigenous group. The parties that voted against the act were the Center Party, National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), and the radical-right Perussuomalaiset.* I wrote in the forthcoming European Islamophobia Report 2022 the following: “Another…
Search Results for: Petra Laiti
Twitter (Petra Laiti): Anti-Saami hatred in this Nordic human rights paradise
I had the opportunity to interview Petra Laiti in 2017. A steadfast activist for Saami rights, I remember one matter from the interviews: Her clear views and eloquence. She is a gifted leader. If Finland has a questionable reputation, how it treats Others like migrants and minorities, the Saami is a case in point. In…
Hate speech and attacks against the Sámi of Finland are a warning to other minorities of the hostile environment
The hate speech targeted at Sámi activists like Petra Laiti and Janne Hirvasvuopio by MPs from the Center Party and others is a stark reminder of the racism inflicting Finland. Suppose the Sámi, the original inhabitants of Finland, have no right to self-determination. What does this say about other minorities who want to practice and maintain their culture in…
Does Finland’s integration plan turn migrants into active or submissive members of society?
We hear near-constantly from the police in cities like Varissuo and journalists warning us about the dangers of “multiculturalism” in Sweden and how it may spread and wreak havoc in Finland. This type of reporting is unfortunate because it not only reinforces stereotypes about migrants but their exclusion from society. As long as Finland’s official…
Cultural appropriation of Saami in Northern Europe: “Make as much noise as you can”
The most recent case of cultural appropriation in Finland was seen in October when a Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) host put on a Native American feathered hairpiece. To add insult to injury, the YLE TV host aired on the same programme a clip of a Finnish 1960 “comedy” with blackfaced actors.