SOTRUST

SOTRUST takes the concept of trust as a starting point, and investigates how trust or lack of trust is related to conflict and cooperation in the past and present in South Saepmie, and what is needed to build the trust necessary for reconciliation. Our task is to investigate the reasons for trust and mistrust in the region, fill possible gaps in the TRC report, further develop TRC theory and practice, map patterns of conflict and cooperation in this hotspot region, and propose possible solutions to improve inter- and intra-ethnic dynamics. We understand trust as a concept that needs to be understood in the context of theories about emotions (Ahmed 2004) and settler colonialism (Wolfe 2006). It is important to examine the complex and often contradictory socio-emotional effects of colonization and assimilation to understand the social and political reality in which the Saami live today. 

The project is based on a perspective of decolonization methodology (Smith 2021) and critical perspectives on Saami and Indigenous knowledge production (Kuokkanen 2008), where we see research as an institution of knowledge embedded in a global system of colonialism and power. This means that trust is not only an object for our study, but also a topic that we critically engage with as researchers, as we too represent institutions and practices that struggle with mistrust due to past and present harmful practices and unequal power relations. We will use a mixed method approach, where we will conduct interviews, gather personal stories shared with the project through an open form online, dialogue meetings and seminars, and archival studies.