“We have always been forced to defend our rights. We refuse to look away while the Finnish state tramples on the rights of our people.”

Dec 28

Jussa Seurujärvi (juh-sah soor-ah-jog-ghee)

Sámi reindeer-herder

IMAGE SOURCE: Uncredited. “Cutting through this forest means destroying our past, our future, and our identity.” Greenpeace. 28 Feb. 2019. | QUOTE SOURCE: Jussa Seurujärvi . “Cutting through this forest means destroying our past, our future, and our… — IMAGE SOURCE: Uncredited. “Cutting through this forest means destroying our past, our future, and our identity.” Greenpeace. 28 Feb. 2019. | QUOTE SOURCE: Jussa Seurujärvi . “Cutting through this forest means destroying our past, our future, and our identity.” Greenpeace. 28 Feb. 2019.

QUOTE CONTEXT: ”A proposed plan for the Arctic railway would cut through our pasture, spoiling our forest, our fresh water supply and destroying our past, our future, and our identity.”

QUOTE QUESTION: What rights have your people had to defend?

IMAGE CONTEXT: “Jussa Seurujärvi, Sámi reindeer herder from Muddusjärvi, Inari municipality, holds a banner reading in Finnish “No Arctic railway”.

IMAGE QUESTION: What does your banner say?

MEDIA LITERACY CONTEXT: The text and photo are from an article by Jussa posted on the Greenpeace website.

MEDIA LITERACY QUESTION: What strategic partnerships help your people communicate to the world?

“We have always been forced to defend our rights. We refuse to look away while the Finnish state tramples on the rights of our people.”

Jussa Seurujärvi (juh-sah soor-ah-jog-ghee)

“The Sami have no obligation whatsoever to explain every root and branch of our culture in order to justify our demand to be taken seriously.”

“We live in a society where resistance takes place every day. It’s not anything new for us, and this railroad plan is not the first thing we must take a stand against.”