Ellinor Guttorm Utsi is an Indigenous Sámi woman, and a passionate leader fighting to protect her community’s ancient reindeer-herding way of life in northern Norway. As a spokesperson, she speaks out for her family and her people who have followed seasonal migration routes across the Arctic forgenerations. They rely on summer grazing lands in Čorgaš, lands now under urgent threat.
Reindeer herding is central to the Sámi food system, which depends on migratory grazing across the Arctic landscape to produce sustainable food, clothing and crafts. Ellinor leads efforts to defend her community’s rights to land and culture, highlighting the ongoing struggle of Indigenous Peoples caught between climate change, land rights and renewable energy development.
In 2023, several hundred wind turbines were suddenly proposed across Sámi territory, with many planned directly on Ellinor’s summer grazing lands. These huge projects would bring hundreds of turbines, roads and power lines that would break up the land, disrupt reindeer migration and destroy a way of life deeply connected to nature.
Despite fierce opposition, Norwegian authorities are rushing approvals. Ellinor is tirelessly working to ensure Sámi voices are heard and their rights respected, but time is running out.
Call on Norway to listen to Ellinor and the Sámi People, and help them protect their land, livelihoods and culture.