Church of Sweden describes its mistreatment of the Sami

Today, the Church of Sweden publishes its White Book, a two-volume scientific anthology entitled “The Historical Relationship between the Church of Sweden and the Sami”. In the White Book, the Church’s intention is to describe the mistreatment and wrongs that it committed and to examine its guilt and responsibility towards the Samis in a colonial past.

“The White Book opens up and confirms the story of the Sami and the consequences of the Church’s mistreatment of that people; a story that many people are ignorant of today. It’s important that the decision-makers and employees of the Church – and the public – should be told of these Sami experiences”, says Sylvia Sparrock, Chair of the Sami Council in the Church of Sweden.

“To be able to build up our relationship with the Sami people, the Church and State must take responsibility and make good the wrongs that have been committed. This can be a good start”.

Further reading (in Swedish): Archbishop Antje Jackelén and Sylvia Sparrock, in DN Debatt, 6 March 2016.

Starting-point
The White Book anthology lays no claim to be the last word on the subject, and should not be regarded as an end-point. Instead, it should be seen as a starting-point, emphasizes Kaisa Syrjänen Schaal, Head of the Unit of Multilingual Issues at the Central Church Office in Uppsala.

“Our hope is that the history depicted in the White Book will inspire new research, which in time may lead to an increasingly comprehensive and detailed picture. However, the knowledge presented in the articles should be sufficient to serve as a basis for continued steps in a process of reconciliation, and the dialogue that is necessary for further progress”, she says.

The White Book is published by the Artos publishing house and was produced in collaboration with the Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Umeå University. It has been produced in two volumes spanning around 30 articles and totalling approximately 1,300 pages, including translations into several Sami languages. The articles are grouped into five sections:

I. Perspective on reconciliation
II. Mission and school
III. The Church and expressions of Sami culture
IV. The Sami and the Church as an authority
V. Church and Sami outside the Church of Sweden

Long-term responsibility
In his Foreword to the White Book, Archbishop Antje Jackelén emphasizes how important the book is in facing up to the Church’s history of colonialism, and in mobilizing the will to build mutual, respectful and fair relationships. The Church of Sweden wants to, and must, continue to take responsibility for ensuring that this will happen in a long-term perspective, she says.

“...if churches are to be the safe and holy places that we want them to be, we also have to dare to touch what hurts. We have long been unable or unwilling to understand, see and hear the stories of the Sami or their memories of the past. It is painful to realize that the Church has not behaved well but has contributed to and legitimized repression, and in that way has caused suffering. When we betrayed the Sami people, we also betrayed ourselves and God.” the Archbishop writes in his Foreword.

Popular version
The White Book project also includes a popular version, which is to be published in autumn 2016. It will contain a summary of the White Book and deals with the issue of reconciliation in a more practical theological light, as inspiration for work in the future.