Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Norway) explained

The Commission to Investigate the Norwegianisation Policy and Injustice Against the Sámi and Kven/Norwegian Finnish Peoples (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission) is a Norwegian state commission established by the Storting in 2018. It is led by Dagfinn Høybråten and with a committee consisting of eleven other professionals.

The purpose of the investigation is to lay the foundation for recognition of the experiences of Sámi and Kven (Norwegian Finns) subject to Norwegian authorities' policies of Norwegianization, and the consequences these experiences have had for them as groups and individuals.

The Commission will complete its work by 1 September 2022 and submit its report to the Storting's Presidency.

Mandate

The commission has a three-part mandate^[1] to carry out:

1. It will produce a historical survey Norwegian authorities' policy and activities towards Sámi and Kvens / Norwegian Finns both locally, regionally and nationally.
2. It will investigate the effects of the Norwegianization policy, including how it has affected the majority population's views of Sami, Kvens / Norwegian Finns, and the significance of Norwegianization to this day.
3. It will suggest measures further reconciliation.

On 9 May 2019, the commission decide the Forest Finns in its mandate.

Structure

A secretariat for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by Liss-Ellen Ramstad, was established at University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway.^[2]

Membership

• Secretary General Dagfinn Høybråten^[3]
• Professor Ivar Bjørklund
• Fellow Håkon Hermanstrand
• Bishop Emeritus Per Oskar Kjølaas
• Professor Pia Lane
• Senior advisor Anne Kalstad Mikkelsen
• Museum director Marit Myrvoll
• Professor Emeritus Einar Niemi
• Professor Anne Julie Semb
• College lecturer Liv Inger Somby
• Professor Emeritus Aslak Syse
• Associate Professor Ketil Zachariassen

External links

• Norwegian Parliament's news release about the commission's final report (english)

Notes and References

1. https://uit.no/kommisjonen/mandat_en Mandate
2. https://uit.no/kommisjonen/sekretariatet_en Secretariat
3. https://uit.no/kommisjonen/medlemmer_en Members