| Summary: | Sweden has a long history of colonialism in the Sápmi region where the state repeatedly has claimed land at the expense of reindeer husbandry and the Sami culture. The Swedish government has never recognized its colonial history and is still today claiming land for various projects, often covered by wording about sustainable development and a green transition. The purpose of this thesis has been to find out whether colonial structures exist in the discourse regarding the mining project in Gállok. This has been done by analyzing the Swedish government and Beowulf Mining and their argument and positions around the project through Bacchi’s WPR approach. The theoretical framework that has been used is based on postcolonial theory and the concepts of orientalism, subalternity, ethnocentrism and green colonialism. Recurring in the material from both the government and Beowulf Mining has been that the mineral extraction is premiered at the expense of the reindeer husbandry. Based on the theoretical framework and its application on the material, it can be concluded that colonial structures do exist in the discourse regarding the mining project in Gállok. The result of the thesis can thus be considered to confirm that colonial ideas still characterize the view of the Sami people and their right to use the land in northern Sweden, albeit under promises of sustainability and green conversion.
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