Presentation short abstract

This paper explores the use of law as a tool for land dispossession in South Saepmie, Norway, from the historical impacts of mining to contemporary contexts. It examines how dominant narratives have erased Saami temporalities and land use practices while also highlighting Saami counter-narratives.

Presentation long abstract

This paper examines the role of law as a strategic tool in the historical and contemporary struggles over land use and resource governance in South Saepmie, Norway. Using the case of Røros Copper Works and its impacts on Saami landscapes, exemplified through land conflicts over grazing rights around Femunden during the 19th and 20th centuries.

It explores how legal mechanisms have historically and systematically facilitated land dispossession and the marginalization of Saami landscape practices through the strategic use of law. The paper traces how these conflicts have unfolded over centuries, producing enduring inequalities between Saami communities and state or industrial actors, while drawing connections to contemporary mining industries and Norway's current mineral policy.

The analysis focuses on how dominant narratives of land dispossession shape perceptions of time and landscape practices. From colonial legal and scientific arguments that framed Saami reindeer herding as a primitive and subordinate practice to current “green transition” narratives, which prioritize industrial urgency as a more significant societal interest. Saami seasonal rhythms and intergenerational knowledge are silenced in favor of extractive logics and “sustainable” development, replicating historical patterns of epistemic and material violence.

Drawing on decolonial theories and Indigenous perspectives, this paper highlights Saami resistance that challenge the erasure of Saami knowledge and presence. By situating the historical continuity of lawfare within the broader context of extractive temporalities and Indigenous resistance, the paper seeks to illuminate the enduring dynamics of resource exploitation in Saepmie, both past and present.