On 19 October 2026, URI Europe’s Earth Healing Interfaith Webinar Series turned its attention to “The Plight of Europe’s Indigenous People: the Sámi.” The session featured Morgana Sythove and Erena Rhose, connected with URI’s CHIPS Cooperation Circle—Cultural Heritage of Indigenous People Scandinavia/Nordic.
The webinar invited participants to explore the connections between Indigenous identity, cultural heritage, spirituality, and care for the Earth. Morgana introduced Sápmi, the Sámi ancestral homeland stretching across parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Describing Indigenous peoples as “people of the land,” the speakers encouraged reflection on how relationships with particular landscapes shape belonging, responsibility, and community life.
Morgana shared aspects of Sámi cultural expression, including traditional yoik singing, and discussed pressures associated with climate change, mining, and energy developments. She also highlighted efforts to preserve languages and cultural knowledge across generations.
Drawing on four decades of experience living in Sweden, Erena offered personal reflections on the challenges facing Sámi reindeer-herding communities. She described how forestry expansion and changing land use affect access to seasonal grazing areas, while the costs of equipment, fuel, and transport place additional pressure on families. Her contribution highlighted the close relationship between livelihoods, cultural continuity, and spiritual connections with the land.
Questions and discussion opened further space to explore Sámi languages, cultural resilience, and the importance of Indigenous participation in decisions affecting ancestral territories.
Lauren Van Ham, URI’s Earth Restoration Lead, connected these reflections with URI’s wider work alongside Indigenous communities, sharing examples from Uganda, Venezuela, and India. She also shared Biswadeb Chakraborty’s (URI Indigenous Lead) contact as a connection for participants interested in URI’s Indigenous-focused work.
For continued learning, Lauren introduced three resources:
- Global Ethical Stocktake: an initiative bringing ethical reflection into climate action.
- Earthkeepers vs. AI Empires: perspectives on land, traditional knowledge, and the environmental and social implications of AI infrastructure.
- Honor the Earth’s “No Data Centers on Native Land” toolkit: educational and organising resources concerning data centres and Indigenous lands.
The gathering closed with a spiritual reflection offered by Erena. As part of the ongoing Earth Healing series, the webinar strengthened a shared understanding that environmental responsibility includes listening to Indigenous communities and respecting the relationships that sustain their cultures and ways of life.
Watch the webinar recording: https://youtu.be/GcvMe7uyBGk