Abstract

This chapter discusses two disputes concerning nature exploitation that have provoked open resistance among the Indigenous Sámi people in Nordic countries. The first one is the Áltá Controversy that took place at the end of 1970s and in the early 1980s, and the second is the Deatnu fishing dispute, which revolved around the question of fishing regulations in and around the River Deatnu in the late 2010s. The chapter describes the course of the two disputes and the forms of resistance used by the Sámi protesters involved in them, with civil disobedience in particular focus. According to the chapter, those engaging in acts of resistance first sought to defend everyday life as they lived it. However, both processes of resistance soon took a constructive turn. The protesters sought to build structures that would help in imminent resistance but would also strengthen the political position of the Sámi for the future. Moreover, the chapter discusses the nature of civil disobedience in Áltá and Deatnu. It shows that the participants emphasised the importance of law, even if they broke it when engaging in civil disobedience. Finally, the chapter illuminates the central role of art and artists in the events.