Mining for Whose Future? The Recycling of Narratives for Continuous Extraction : A discursive study of the Gállok mine

Abstract: The Exploitation of land for economic growth has been an ongoing issue for locals’ rights to land, especially indigenous people. In Sweden, EU’s largest producer of Iron ore, the conflict between the State, indigenous Sámi, and mining industries have caused many controversies over the years, where mining projects repeatedly infringe upon land inhabited by Sámi. It is argued that exploitation is a “common good” for economic and social development, arguments which are rooted in the historical oppression and colonialist thoughts of the past. Recently, the argument has shifted, adding environmental concerns, where development projects claim to be an indispensable part of the national and global green transition. Ideas stemming from green growth narratives, such as technological solutions, are consistently put forward as the right path towards a green transition, with little consideration paid towards communities who pay the price. One such instance is the case of the proposed mine in Gállok, which was granted a processing concession in 2022. The project is asserted to be a necessity for producing green iron ore for a sustainable future, while opposing parties argue that it will cause irredeemable consequences on the environment and the Sámi village Jåhkågasska tjiellde. This Master thesis investigates these narratives through Critical Discourse Analysis and an Environmental Justice framework to elucidate misrecognition within green growth politics and how arguments contrived from ideologies and beliefs shape the mainstream narrative. It is not to impart an absolute truth but to highlight one potential contributing factor to the current situation. Documents provided by the Company, the State and Sametinget are used as a basis for the analysis, where they are analysed through themes based on perceived recognition, narratives, and power structures, Namely Language, Representation, and (De)politicisation. It is found that while some progress has been made concerning Sámi rights generally in Sweden, little of it can be observed within the discourse regarding the mine. Both company and the State still lean heavily on technical solutions to create coexistence between the mine and Sámi, something which the Sámi affirms is not a possibility. It is further concluded that a green transition which claims to be sustainable needs to consider the social repercussions against the indigenous experience, heritage, livelihood, and culture to be truly sustainable.