28 October 2024
Extensive research programme on land conflicts in Arctic Sweden
The transition to a fossil-free industry is expanding rapidly in Arctic Sweden. It is generating economic growth and helping to reduce carbon emissions. At the same time, the transition contributes to strengthening local land conflicts, which often have centuries-old roots. A new interdisciplinary research programme at Luleå University of Technology aims to gain a deeper understanding of how and why conflicts and cooperation around land use have arisen.
“It is unique that we are studying land conflicts over such a long period of time as 400 years with a focus on the Sami, as well as the Tornedalians, the Kvens and the Lantalaiset,” says Dag Avango, Professor of History and research leader of the programme together with Christina Allard, Professor of Law.
A total of ten researchers in archaeology, history, law, political science and ethnology are participating in the programme. Through archival studies, interviews and archaeological inventories and excavations, the researchers want to gain a deeper understanding of how and why conflicts, tensions and cooperation around land use, including rights claims to land and water, have arisen and changed in northern Sweden from the 17th century until today. The two researchers emphasise that, although the focus is on the Sámi and the Tornedalians, the Kvens and the Lantalaiset, other local populations are also important to the programme.
Support for decision-makers
One of the aims of the project is to support decision-makers in designing policies and legislation that can mitigate these conflicts.
“The conflicts we see today have largely historical roots. Our ambition is to learn from historical mistakes, but also from historical successes, in order to promote cooperation and manage local land use conflicts in the future,” says Dag Avango.
The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Museum of Norrbotten and Ájtte – Swedish Mountain and Sámi Museum, among others. Among other things, they will host seminar series for the public about new knowledge concerning historical land- and water use – both cooperation and conflicts.
The programme has two main tracks. Firstly, it is about gaining an understanding of today's conflicts by studying the long term tendencies in history. To what extent have institutions and ideas about land use and land rights in the past promoted or hindered cooperation at local and regional level? Secondly, it is about collecting a repository of case studies to get a picture of how land conflicts have been managed by the state and other actors.
Millions from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond
The program “Conflict or cooperation? - Learning from history, tensions and conflicts over land use in Sweden's Arctic region” has been granted funding of 41.1 million SEK from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond over a six-year period starting on January 1, 2025. This is the first time that Luleå University of Technology is granted a so called RJ-Programme which means “joint, well-integrated research assignments in the social sciences and humanities carried out over relatively long periods by groups of merited researchers connected with Sweden.” RJ Programmes “require a highly developed research environment or researcher network, and advanced expertise on the part of the researchers and research leader.”
“We are extremely happy and proud to have received this confidence from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. We at Luleå University of Technology have a very good interdisciplinary research environment in the social sciences and humanities. Our ambition is to eventually create an excellent center on land and water use and rights issues in northern Sweden”, says Christina Allard.
Contact
Dag Avango
- Professor and Head of Subject
- 0920-491573
- dag.avango@ltu.se
- Dag Avango
Christina Allard
- Professor, Meriterad lärare
- 0920-491379
- christina.allard@ltu.se
- Christina Allard
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