In my reindeer herding community, we go to court on average once a month, on various topics, smaller ones to larger ones. What we have experienced is that the successful cases are the ones where the decisions are connected to knowledge-based research that is grounded in co-creation.

I am here talking about the type of knowledge that the court can understand, the type of knowledge that they can reflect on in the rulings, and that can be translated into legal language. It’s a captivating process when you see the judges suddenly react like: “Oh, ok! That is what it’s all about!” It’s fascinating to see them then understand why research based on co-creation is different from a one-eyed research approach and the actual impact it has, and that they then base their decision on that research.

That is a very concrete level based on my own experiences, and I think that my job in the Sámi council is to build bridges through co-creation, which is essentially science diplomacy. In my mind, co-creation is a means to secure Indigenous peoples rights to exist. It’s a fundamental cornerstone to it, and I believe co-creation is an investment in the future.