Ráhkkis oappát ja vielljat, bures boahtin Kárášjohkii ja Sámediggái. Mun lean Elle-Rávnná Eli Silje Karine ja lean presideanta Sámedikkis. Lea erenomáš dehálaš ahte mii deaivvadat guorran dihte luottaid boahtteáigái luosa ektui, ja erenomáš somá ahte mii deaivvadat Sámis dán háve.

Dear brothers and sisters from across the Indigenous northern hemisphere, welcome to Sápmi. Today, we gather on this sacred land, where the rivers sing and the salmon is the pulse of life. In this area the salmon is the carrier of our culture, so much that we call ourselves salmon sámis or river sámis.

The salmon, luossa, is more than just a fish. For us, as for many of you, it is a part of our blood, our culture, and our way of life. It carries with it the stories of our ancestors, and its cyclical journey from river to sea and back mirrors our people’s struggle to preserve our identity, our rights, and our future.

I would like to share what the luossa, salmon means for me personally. My ancestors have been intertwined with salmon for generations. I value the first salmon meal every season and feel gratitude and the connection to my heritage when I eat it with my loved ones. 

It is hard to explain the meaning of salmon to others, but with you all here, it is way easier. I know that you all share the same stories. 

My family, both on my late mothers side and my late fathers side have been fishing salmon as far back as I can trace my relatives. My great grandfather died in the Deatnu-river during fishing. My family fished salmon in the sea - we had our own fishing place called Gaskkanjuorri. One of my anchestors took the case on fishery rights in the Alta river on the earl of Roxburghe in 1880 high court - and won. My grandfather was a salmonfisher, it was his great passion in life, and they have fished in the rivers and at sea.

Salmon is life, culture and us. 

We come together at a pivotal time. Across the world, we, Indigenous peoples, face shared challenges. Our waterways are polluted, our resources commercialized, and our voices marginalized. For the Sámi people, salmon fishing is an inseparable part of our culture and sustenance, but also our language and our relationship with nature. Today, we face one of our greatest challenges: protecting the Atlantic salmon from the devastation brought by the aquaculture industry and its consequences, such as escaped farmed fish, sea lice, and species that are invasive to our waterways.

The Deatnu River, one of the most important salmon rivers in Sápmi, has been severely affected by regulations and overfishing, as well as by salmon farming and climate change. Across our fjords, we see a decline in wild salmon stocks, and many of our Indigenous communities find themselves without access to sustainable fishing. This is not just an ecological crisis—it is a crisis for our culture and our very existence.

Our struggle is not just about the fish; it is about the right to manage our own resources on our own terms, rooted in Sámi knowledge. Indigenous knowledge is a gift from our ancestors, but in the face of modern, commercial interests, it has often been dismissed. We know that our methods of stewardship, respecting the seasons, nature’s rhythms, and sustainable harvesting, are the way forward. But this must be recognized, not just locally, but globally.

I stand here with you, and I ask that we lift each other up. Let us share knowledge, strengthen our alliances, let us build bridges between our peoples. We must meet challenges and threats both to our cultures and our ecosystems. This is not just about politics; it is about our future, about our children’s right to experience nature as we have, free and alive.

In the face of climate change and the ever-increasing pressure from commercial interests, we must be clear: Our knowledge is essential.

Sápmi welcomes you with open arms. I hope that you will enjoy yourselves. I hope that we will have fruitful discussions, and I look forward to learn more about salmon from you. From here, together, we can create a future where our children and grandchildren will see the salmon swim in the rivers and know that we fought for its right to exist. Thank you for being here, and thank you for standing with us in this struggle. Let the journey of the salmon be our shared journey toward a future where both people and nature can live in harmony.

Giitu.