A Sámi youth warms beside a digital hearth, where ancestral stories and climate data flicker together. Illustration by dr. Ánne Ravdna
Dr. Ánne Ravdna, Sámi scholar and technologist, advocates for Indigenous digital sovereignty.
Keynote Speaker
Digital Fires & the Sámi Stand
— By Sigrid Jørgensen and Dr.Ánne Ravdna"What happens here in Sápmi isn't just a regional issue," she tells me. "It's a preview of how indigenous peoples everywhere will navigate a future transformed by climate and technology."
Dr. Ravdna's upcoming presentation at ARCTECH 2045 examines the twin pressures reshaping Sámi lands and lives. First is what she calls the "New Climate Economy." As Mediterranean Europe roasts under 50°C summers, climate migrants have moved northward. Simultaneously, parts of northern Finland traditionally used for reindeer grazing have been converted to vast carbon-sink grasslands.
"These commercial farms produce sustainable meat for Europe and generate valuable carbon credits," Dr. Ravdna explains, "but they constrict traditional Sámi livelihoods. Reindeer herding was already challenged by changing ice patterns and vegetation shifts. Now the animals face fenced fields where they once roamed freely."
The second pressure comes from mining. Sápmi is rich in the minerals essential for green technology— nickel, copper, and rare earth elements. Increasingly automated mining operations run with reduced human oversight, though complex decisions still require remote human operators.
"These operations promise more targeted extraction with less environmental damage," Dr. Ravdna says with skepticism in her voice.
But they need fewer workers than traditional mining, bringing almost no economic benefit to our communities. Meanwhile, they work at speeds that outpace our traditional consultation processes, fragmenting the landscape and cutting across migration routes and sacred sites." says Ravdna.
She swipes through several images of sleek, low-profile mining installations, their corporate origins deliberately unmarked in her presentation. "The investment promises rarely materialize in meaningful ways," she adds.
Yet the Sámi are using technology to respond. Dr. Ravdna shows me their "Digital Resilience" initiatives:
- AI-Powered Language Preservation: Pilot programs for AI tutors conversing in North, Lule, or Skolt Sámi dialects show promise (though reliable internet access remains a barrier in remote areas) helping younger generations maintain linguistic connections despite community dispersal.
- Evolved Mesh Networks: The Saami Network Connectivity (SNC) system combines rented commercial low-orbit satellites and ground stations to create resilient communications for nomadic herders. Through AR-enabled devices, they can access environmental data when connectivity allow, herd biometrics, and alerts about unsafe ground conditions caused by permafrost thaw.
- Digital Advocacy: Young Sámi create immersive virtual experiences showcasing their culture and documenting land encroachments with drone footage. A recent campaign organized through decentralized platforms successfully halted a mining operation near a sacred seite (offering stone).
These initiatives currently face significant challenges in areas like inconsistent funding, technical infrastructure limitations, and the need for extensive community training programs. Dr. Ravdna remains hopeful that her research will bring the promise to light.
The most challenging frontier, in her respect, involves negotiating with autonomous systems that manage resource extraction on Sámi lands. "How does a traditional community group negotiate grazing rights with an algorithm programmed in a distant corporate office?" Dr. Ravdna asks. "We urgently need co-management interfaces between indigenous decision-making and AI systems."
Her work highlights a critical gap in Arctic governance. As Arctic governance structures face increasing strain from geopolitical tensions, formal frameworks for indigenous data sovereignty and technological self-determination remain underdeveloped.
"Technology isn't inherently harmful," Dr. Ravdna emphasizes as we conclude our conversation. "The question is whether it will be deployed to support indigenous resilience or to accelerate displacement. The Sámi have adapted for thousands of years—but never at this pace or scale."
Her challenge to ARCTECH participants is clear: ensure that Arctic development supports rather than undermines the region's first peoples. In a world rushing to exploit the resources of a warming North, indigenous voices must help shape the technological future they will inherit.
By Sigrid Jørgensen & dr. Ravdna | Illustrations by Miiko Uusitalo
Sigrid travelled to dr. Ravdna for this interview [January 9 2045]
Sigrid travelled to dr. Ravdna for this interview [January 9 2045]