Authors
Nadezhda Mamontova1; 1 University of Birmingham, UK Discussion
This presentation examines local perceptions and interpretations of cross-border Sámi identity in the Barents Region, with particular attention to the role of Russian regional media outlets in shaping pan-Sámi identity in the Arctic and the Arctic Council’s role in fostering transnational cooperation from the mid-1990s to the present, as well as the implications of Russia’s current suspension. It also considers the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine and subsequent border restrictions on the Sámi community, which is divided across four Arctic states, with a focus on the emergence of an ‘Indigenous refugee’ category in the Arctic. Current tensions jeopardise collective Indigenous rights in the region and risk framing Sámi as displaced outsiders, thereby undermining efforts to sustain their political participation in Sápmi across national borders. While there is a growing body of scholarship on Indigenous displacement, particularly in settler-colonial contexts, research on the intersection of Indigeneity, forced migration and cross-border identities remains largely underrepresented in the post-Soviet space. 
