The Saami Council is a Sami non-governmental organization that has member organizations in Finland, Russia, Norway and Sweden. It was founded in 1956.^[1] Another important formal Sami organization is the Saami Parliament.^[2] To understand the stances and activities of the Sami people it is important to familiarize oneself with their history and current activities where the footnotes of this text give further understanding. According to United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC),^[3]

The Sami are the indigenous people living in the very north of Europe, in Sápmi, which stretches across the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula. They are a minority in today’s Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway, but a majority in the innermost parts of Finnmark county in Norway and in the municipality of Utsjoki in Finland. However, although regarded as one people, there are several kinds of Sami based on their patterns of settlement and how they sustain themselves. Furthermore, their rights and general situation differ considerably depending on the nation state within which they live.^[4]

About 9,000 people identify as Sami in Finland, about 2,000 in Russia, 15,000-20,000 in Sweden, and about 60,000 in Norway.^[5] In general, it can be said that tourism provides a significant livelihood for Sami people. It is extremely challenging and controversial to condense the stances held by the Sami population towards development, since tourism is seen as source of living on the one hand, but on the other as a phenomena that makes traditional ways of life in to a commercial product. In general, it can be said that the Sami population is very concerned about how existing and planned Arctic resource extraction as well as shipping affects the northern environment that is their historical home area.^[6]