Do indigenous interests have a say in planning of new mining projects? Experiences from Finnmark, Norway

Using planning documents and media articles collected during the planning processes of two new mining projects in the region, Nussir and Arctic Gold, the article examines the formal role of the Sami interests in mining licensing processes; the ways in which different Sami stakeholders take part in environmental impact assessment (EIA)-processes; and the extent to which Sami views are taken into account when it comes to important project decisions. The article operates from a local community perspective, applying the concept of social sustainability with theories of indigenous and local community participation in planning processes.