Majoritetssamhällets okunskap: follow-up on the recommendations of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People
Amnesty Sápmi, the Sámi Association in Stockholm, Gaaltije Saemien Museume and Accelerator are hosting an event to follow up on the Truth Commission for the Sámi People and the Commission’s proposals for measures to increase and improve knowledge about the Sámi people and Sámi affairs in Sweden.
The Truth Commission for the Sámi People was a government inquiry established in 2021 following a request from the Sámi Parliament. The Commission was tasked with mapping and reviewing policies directed towards the Sámi, and their consequences for the Sámi people. The Commission submitted its final report to the Government on 30 September 2026.
This panel discussion will address the recommendations and proposed measures put forward by the Commission, specifically those aimed at expanding and improving knowledge of Sámi culture, history, and living conditions in Sweden. Historically, the majority society’s lack of awareness has fostered restrictive, disparaging attitudes and supported discriminatory policies.
To address this, the Commission proposes the following measures to enhance public knowledge:
• A general increase of knowledge and awareness of Sámi people
• Enhanced teaching on Sámi culture, history, and rights in primary and secondary schools
• Improved teacher training and professional development
• Enhanced competences within language and culture in government agencies, municipalities and regions
• The production of a readily understood version of the Commission’s report
• Measures to strengthen relevant Sámi research
Through a discussion on how to support, deepen and disseminate knowledge about the Sámi people and Sámi issues in schools, in research, in culture and amongst the general public, the discussion focuses on who is responsible for following up on the Commission’s work and how to address the majority’s lack of knowledge.
The event is a follow-up to the conversation ”Marken, vattnet, tankarna”, which took place at Accelerator Maj 13 2026.
REFS:
Åtgärdsförslag 13.8, ”Markerna berättar och minns”, SOU: 2026:58, 882–893.
Se också uppmaningar 15-20, ”Markerna berättar och minns”, SOU: 2026:58, 45-46.
Programme
Date: 11 November
18:00–18:30: Guided tour of the exhibition Aerpiemaahtoe
with Therese Kellner and Anneli Bäckman
18:45–20:15: Panel discussion and Q&A
20:15–21:00: Mingle / Refreshments
Language: Swedish
Place: Exhibition space and Accelerator Café
Free of charge, no registration required.
Panelists:
Anna-Lill Drugge, Associate Professor in Sámi Studies, Umeå University, and former board member of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People
Karin Strandås, Head of Department for Civil Society, The Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF)
Rebecca Adami, Associate Professor at the Department of Education, Stockholm University
Camilla Hansén, Member of Parliament (Miljöpartiet) and member of the government Education Committee
The conversation will be moderated by Therese Kellner, curator at Accelerator.
About the programme
This autumn and winter, Accelerator and Gaaltije Saemien Museume are organising a series of events that highlight the work of the Truth Commission for the Sámi People and tie in with the ongoing exhibition ‘Aerpiemaahtoe’. The series includes talks, lectures, film screenings and readings that aim to create space for discussion and reflection on Sámi knowledge traditions and to question how different knowledge systems are valued, managed and discriminated against.
The Truth Commission for the Sámi People presented its work to the Swedish government on September 30, 2026. Eight art institutions and organisations are engaging with this through exhibitions, concerts, symposia and talks: Accelerator, Amnesty Sápmi, Bildmuseet, Gaaltije Saemien Museume, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Moderna Museet Malmö, the Sámi Association in Stockholm and the Public Art Agency Sweden. Together, we highlight stories of colonialism, Sámi identity, relationships to land, language and belonging.
