The Constitution’s § 108

The paragraph was adopted in 1988 and is colloquially known as the “Sámi paragraph”:

The authorities of the state shall create conditions enabling the Sami people to preserve and develop its language, culture and way of life.

International and Norwegian law

The Sámi people are protected by international law on indigenous people’s rights. The UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and ILO’s no. 169 Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries are especially important here. These conventions give indigenous people the right to preserve and develop their own culture. According to the Norwegian Human Rights law from 1999 the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political rights applies in Norwegian law.

The Finnmark law, 2005

The law facilitates the management of nature and ground resources in Finnmark in a balanced and ecological way. This for the benefit of the inhabitant in the province, and especially as basis for Sámi culture, reindeer husbandry, uncultivated land usage, commercial activity and community life. Norway has also made commitments to the Sámi people, including through the Planning and Building Act, the Cultural Heritage Act, the Reindeer Husbandry Act, the Kindergarten Act, the Education Act, and the Place Names Act.