Lämpliga renvårdare : En undersökning av koncessionssamebyarna under åren 1930–1954 ur ett bosättarkolonialt perspektiv

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this essay is to analyze the Sámi concession area in northern Sweden and the governmental administration from a settler colonial perspective. During the time period 1930-1954. The Sami concession area is situated in the river valleys of Torneå and Kalix in northern Sweden. In this area the Sami people must apply for permission from the authorities - to conduct reindeer husbandry. Furthermore, they must take care of skötesrenar from the landowners in the area. The practice of skötesrenar in the concession area has far reaching consequences for the relation between Sami and non-Sami people: Reindeers belonging of non-Sami agricultural reindeer owners is herded by Sami concession holders, at the same time the reindeer owner have a voice in the Sami villages.  The Sami people have lived in the area for a long time but when the first reindeer-law became effective the reindeer husbandry became illegal. Since local settlers were depending on the reindeers for survival the reindeer husbandry continued in silence until a new law 1928 legalized it again – however this time with a requirement for concession. This system is still in use today and not much research has been done about the special circumstances for the Sami. That is why it is interesting to investigate further. Based on Lorenzo Veracinis concept of transfer this essay examines the settler colonial relation between the Swedish state and the indigenous Sami people. I argue that the Swedish authorities by the means of transfers of assimilation, administration and coerced lifestyle changes have displaced the Sami people in the area in favor of the settled non-Sami agricultural reindeer owners. The focus of the essay therefore lies on the governmental administration, conflicts on-what the farmers had a say in and the role of the Sami people. The source material consists of protocols from the authorities of lappväsendet, articles from the journal Samefolkets egen tidning, Ernst Mankers notes from an expedition in the area and governmental publications.  The sources show that the authorities gave the settled agricultural reindeer owners a great influence in the Sami villages. It appears from the annual meetings that they could decide if the Sami concession holder would get permission, how they should manage the reindeers and in how far the Sami were to be considered good workers. The reindeer owners did so with the support of the authorities - lappväsendet .  The Sami voices in the protocols from the annual meetings are not prominent, however in other sources their opinion appears.  This essay shows that the Sami people felt that they were pushed away from the reindeer husbandry and that the non-Sami reindeer owners gained great influence in the Sami villages. The role of the Sami people in the area, on the other hand, became one of a caretaker to the reindeer owner with help from the authorities.