The Truth and Reconciliation Commission. First row from the left: Anna-Kaisa Räisänen, Liss-Ellen Ramstad, Pia Lane, Dagfinn Høybråten, Anne Julie Semb, Anne Kalstad Mikkelsen, Liv Inger Somby og Inger Elin Utsi. Middle row from the left: Jon-Christer Mudenia, Isak Andersen Turi, Aslak Syse, Håkon Hermstrand, Marit Myrvoll og Torkel Rasmussen. Back row from the left: Ketil Zachariassen, Ivar Bjørklund, Per Oskar Kjølaas og Einar Niemi. Photo: Storting.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The Commission to Investigate the Norwegianisation Policy and Injustice against the Sámi and Kvens/Norwegian Finns has been chaired by Dagfinn Høybråten and comprises 11 other specialists who were appointed by the Storting. The Commission delivered its report to the Storting’s Presidium on Thursday 1st June 2023.
Read the Commission’s report (only the summary is in English; pdf)
On 9th May 2019, the Commission’s mandate was extended to include the Forest Finns. The purpose of the investigation is to lay the groundwork for the recognition of the experiences of the Sámi and Kvens/Norwegian Finns during the enforcement of the Norwegianisation policy by the Norwegian authorities, and what consequences these experiences have had for them collectively and individually.
The mandate describes the three tasks of the Commission:
- Perform a historical survey to map the Norwegian authorities’ policy and activities towards the Sámi and Kvens/Norwegian Finns locally, regionally and nationally.
- Carry out an investigation of the effects of the Norwegianisation policy. The Commission is to consider how the Norwegianisation policy has affected the majority population’s attitudes to the Sámi and Kvens/Norwegian Finns, and will investigate the consequences of Norwegianisation up until the present day.
- Propose measures to contribute to further reconciliation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s secretariat has been based at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Members of the Commission
Chair
Dagfinn Høybråten, General Secretary of Norwegian Church Aid
Members
- Ivar Bjørklund, Professor, Tromsø
- Håkon Hermanstrand, Researcher, Kolvereid
- Per Oskar Kjølaas, Bishop Emeritus, Tromsø
- Pia Lane, Professor, Oslo
- Anne Kristin Gurák, Senior Adviser, Hamarøy
- Marit Myrvoll, Researcher, Evenes
- Einar Niemi, Professor Emeritus, Vadsø
- Anne Julie Semb, Professor, Oslo
- Liv Inger Somby, Director, Kautokeino
- Aslak Syse, Professor Emeritus, Oslo
- Ketil Zachariassen, Associate Professor, Tromsø