Brå releases report on hate crimes against the Sami

In the middle of the village of Lillhärdal in eastern Härjedalen, the dogs Isse, Tussi and Biess rest on the kitchen floor. Reindeer herder Anja Fjellgren Walkeapäà is sitting on one of the chairs drinking coffee. During the winter, the family has its base here to eat and sleep. The rest of the time is spent on the scooter and with the reindeer.

Anja Fjellgren Walkeapäà belongs to Mittådalen’s Sami village. She was only 14 years old when she found a reindeer with a bullet hole in its neck for the first time. The reindeer was alive but had to be killed.

– The only thing my family did was put the lid on and move on, she says.

Did you report it to the police?

– No, it is completely normal. For so long, the elders had been told “reindeer”, “you shouldn’t be here”, “these accursed Sami”. It’s something you just have to put up with.

Every two years, Brå reports on hate crimes against the Sami. A total of 35 hate crimes against Sami people have been reported to the police for 2020 and 2022. But in a new report, Brå believes that the crime is “largely hidden†.

– Sami are exposed to hate crimes at school, at work and on the internet, but it is not talked about as much, says Lisa Wallin, author of the report and project manager at Brå.

– However, we see hate crimes that are more unique to Sami people. Above all, they are connected to reindeer herding.

Norrbotten is the county that is most exposed to crime where reindeer are tormented, according to Brå. In recent years, for example, reindeer have been shot or hunted with trucks. In the latter case, the lorry driver was fined for animal cruelty. He was not convicted of a hate crime, which could have resulted in a harsher sentence.

– There is no doubt that there is sometimes a hate crime motive in incidents where reindeer are run over and injured, says Lisa Wallin.

In Brå’s report, it appears that it can be difficult to prove the motive for a hate crime and that there are “signs that hate crimes may increase when Sami rights are recognized or noticed†. For example, in connection with exploitations such as mines or wind power.

– Many feel that the Sami are pitted against, for example, interests that benefit the local population or the general public. Sami is portrayed as backward and the atmosphere is whipped up, which can lead to hateful comments and that leads to crime in some cases, says Lisa Wallin.

Last fall, the Swedish Tourist Association decided to cut back on its activities in the Jämtlandsfjällen. This applies, among other things, to a mountain cabin within the reindeer herding area for Mittådalen’s Sámi village. The message created a hate storm on the net directed at the Sami villages.

– The Sami villages become a punching bag because the common man has no idea or respect for nature. It’s easy to hate the Sami villages because that’s what they’ve done for centuries in Sweden. It has become so normalized that no one reflects on it anymore, says Anja Fjellgren WalkeapäÃ.

According to Brå, among other things, reports of hate crimes need to increase for the issue to be prioritized by society. Anja Fjellgren Walkeapäà has never filed a police report. She is unsure of what the consequences might be.

– What happens if no one is convicted? Will they hate us even more? Can it escalate, she says.

It is mainly men who engage in reindeer herding and thus are especially exposed to hatred and threats, explains Anja Fjellgren WalkeapäÃ. According to her, the men also find it more difficult to talk about it, which spreads further.

– You look up to the older generation and imitate their behavior. The longer time goes by, the more normal threats and hatred become. Above all, when no one puts their foot down and says that it is not acceptable, she says.

On social media, several young female reindeer herders have begun to talk openly about the hatred and threats they are subjected to. Anja Fjellgren Walkeapäà hopes that it can create security around the issue.

– It is important to understand that it is not your fault that you have been hated, she says.

According to Brå’s report, the risk of threats or hatred makes the Sámi hide their identity in various contexts. If Anja Fjellgren Walkeapää is in a bright place in life, she can take questions about the reindeer husbandry and respond to hateful comments. If she is in a worse place, the lid is on, then her name is only Anja and she lives in Sweden.

– It is good that Brå presents this report, but we Sami must also start reporting.

– The state and authorities also need to stand up for democratic values. That’s really what this is about.