Photo: The S\u00e1mi Parliament<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We celebrate the historic victory of the S\u00e1mi people in Finland with deep solidarity and joy. The long-overdue reform of the S\u00e1mi Parliament Act is a crucial step toward restoring Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. Though delayed, its arrival is vital \u2013 and a reminder that justice, even when late, must still be claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This victory shows that legal systems can be pressured to recognize Indigenous rights when backed by sustained grassroots activism and international solidarity. The S\u00e1mi people have demonstrated that persistent resistance can shift state structures. Palestinians, too, are using international law \u2013 through the International Criminal Court as well as the International Court of Justice and other UN mechanisms \u2013 to demand recognition and redress for genocide, apartheid, and occupation. Both peoples are asserting their right to exist, govern, and thrive on their ancestral lands, despite the systems that have long denied them those rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We at Sumud, a Palestinian-led organisation, recognize this moment as part of a broader, global movement for Indigenous liberation. From Standing Rock to S\u00e1mi lands to Gaza, we resist colonialism in all its forms. Our struggles are interconnected \u2013 rooted in the same systems of dispossession, erasure, and violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This victory is powerful \u2013 but it is not enough. Justice requires more than recognition; it demands reclamation, decolonization, and protection of Indigenous lands and rights. We who celebrate with the S\u00e1mi people today must remain vigilant \u2013 committed to defending S\u00e1mi lands from extractivism, militarization, and settler expansion. S\u00e1mi sovereignty must extend beyond the Parliament Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step for Finland is to ratify the ILO 169 Convention. It is a concrete step toward decolonisation and justice for the S\u00e1mi people. Despite decades of rhetorical support, Finland has yet to ratify this binding international treaty, which affirms Indigenous peoples\u2019 rights to self-determination, land, and resources, and mandates free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). Ratification would mark a critical break from colonial structures that have historically denied the S\u00e1mi meaningful participation in decisions affecting their territories and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The S\u00e1mi victory strengthens our collective resolve to fight for a world where Indigenous rights are respected, sovereignty is honored, and no people are subjected to apartheid, occupation, or genocide. The Palestinian struggle for liberation, justice, and return is part of this global demand for all indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sumud stands with the S\u00e1mi people and all Indigenous communities rising for their rights. Together, we are building a liberated future grounded in dignity, justice, and freedom for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Photo: The S\u00e1mi Parliament We celebrate the historic victory of the S\u00e1mi people in Finland with deep solidarity and joy. The long-overdue reform of the S\u00e1mi Parliament Act is a crucial step toward restoring Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. Though delayed, its arrival is vital \u2013 and a reminder that justice, even when late, must still…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":6747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[],"hf_cat_post":[],"class_list":["post-6745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-statement"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":128,"label":"Statement"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/49608245718_9bf41456e6_o-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Sumud Office","author_link":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/author\/sumud-office\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":128,"name":"Statement","slug":"statement","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":128,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":7,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":128,"category_count":7,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Statement","category_nicename":"statement","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6745"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6751,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6745\/revisions\/6751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6745"},{"taxonomy":"hf_cat_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sumud.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hf_cat_post?post=6745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}