Hydropower company sites: a study of Swedish settler colonialism

The settler colonial perspective has until recently gained modest attention from scholars analysing the relations between Swedish state and Indigenous Sámi people throughout history. This article explores dynamics of colonialism in state’s relation to through expansion hydropower. I argue that hydropower invasion beginning 1910s reinforced colonialism, ultimately shown company town Porjus. industrial politics practice with following consequences continues policy passing ‘Lappmarks Placat’ 1673 when agrarian settlers various origins were encouraged take up farmstead settlements populate areas perceived as uninhabited. During nineteenth century several policies administrative practices made invisible devastated self-determination land rights. When rights had been devalued westernised, time was ripe for a new policy, promoting extraction hydroelectricity rivers Sápmi – traditional country people, situated northern parts Norway, Sweden, Finland Russian Kola Peninsula.