Sweden's Sami Fear for Future Amid Rare Earth Mining Plans

Sweden's indigenous Sami fear they will lose their livelihood and culture if plans go ahead to mine a large rare earths deposit located on their traditional reindeer grazing grounds in the far north.

Rare earth elements are essential for the green transition, including electric vehicle battery production, and the large discovery made in Sweden in early 2023, as well as an even bigger one in Norway in 2024, has boosted Europe's hopes of cutting its dependence on China.

Almost a kilometre underground in the Arctic town of Kiruna, Sweden's state-owned mining company LKAB is blasting an exploration tunnel from its iron ore mine to the neighbouring Per Geijer deposit, to assess its potential.

Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, a herder and head of the Gabna Sami community, says to NCW Life that their entire livelihood is at stake.

"We could be the last generation of Sami in this area. Kiruna will be a black spot on the map".

Kuhmunen said the rare earths mine would cut the community's land "in half".

"Then we can't conduct our traditional reindeer herding as we have done for 400-500 years."

LKAB insisted the company would find a solution with the Sami.

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