Truth commissions in the Nordic states: Who is to be reconciled with whom?

Last month two new Truth Commissions were set up to inquire into historical injustices against the Sámi in Sweden and Finland. These acts were followed up by an official apology to the Sámi people from The Church of Sweden on November 24. The new commissions form part of a larger cross-Scandinavian attempt to come to terms with historical injustices committed towards the Sámi in alle three countries: the Kvens in Sweden and Norway, Norwegian Finns and Forrest Finns in Norway and Tornedalians and Lantalaiset in Sweden.

In this Op-ed Astri Dankertsen and Malin Arvidsson, both members of the DIIS research project TRiNC discuss how the processes relate to each other and which challenges lie ahead of the commissions.