In 1987 came the Sami Act, which created a special elected body that would review “any matter that in the view of the parliament particularly affects the Sami people”.

The first Sami Parliament in Norway was opened two years later by his Majesty King Olav V.

…In the ’70s the Finnish Sami Parliament became one of the first of its kind in the world.

The 21-member board served as an elected body for Sami decision making.

However, unlike their Norwegian counterparts, the Finnish Sami were not granted political independence.

The Sami Parliament has instead functioned as an agency of the national parliament.

“It could only make papers, it has no real control of Sami policy areas,” Professor Lehtola says.

…While the established Sami parliamentary ‘voices’ of Scandinavia offer a representative passage denied to Indigenous people in Australia, in practice, the Sami still have much to fight for.

Consultation with Sami leaders is often legally required for development and environmental projects that impact Sami livelihood, but these obligations are not always honoured.

How might an Indigenous voice to Parliament work? Here’s some ideas from Nordic nations – RN – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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