According to recognised methods of defining and measuring democracy, Sweden has been categorised as a free state and a full democracy since 1921.
Artist Anders Sunna shows his audience a part of history that is often passed over. His paintings remind us of Sweden’s colonial history – a history that needs to be told.
The rights of the Sami to land and water is a hot and controversial question. Who owns the land of Sápmi? The Swedish state considers the northern lands to be state territory, but in the Samis’ eyes, the lands have been unfairly confiscated. There are many people interested in the natural resources in the area. Expanded hydro power, forestry and mining – all of these forces are stressing Sami society, and especially the families that live on reindeer herding and other traditional economic pursuits. Many feel that the foundations of their lives are crumbling beneath them.
Sweden still hasn’t signed ILO 169, a legally binding convention protecting the rights of the Sami and other indigenous peoples.
Sunna’s painting New Methods, Same Abuses brings up a variety of issues: the rights of indigenous peoples, racist structures, the Samis’ history and struggle for civil rights, and the issue of who is entitled to use land and for what.