THIS IS MY LAND - A Song by Sofia Jannok

Published on March 22, 2016

Reclaiming the land.

Song: This Is My Land (Sápmi)
Music & lyrics: Sofia Jannok
Producers: Sofia Jannok & Henrik Oja
Director: Sofia Jannok
Edit: Mattias Andersson
Photo Romsa (Tromsø): Matti Aikio
Photo Paris: Ayşe Gürsöz John E Utsi, Dan Jåma
Photo Svalbard: Marcus Krogtoft
Photo collage from all over Sápmi: Nila Jannok, Mats Berg, Pávva Pittja, Ina-Theres Sparrok, Emma Charlina Graméus, Ánne Márjá Guttorm Graven

Most thanks to Indigenous Environmental Network for clips from Paris during the direct actions around COP21, Dec 2015. Stay posted at www.ienearth.org
www.sofiajannok.com

LYRICS

Introduction:

“The State is of the opinion that the claim put forward by the Sámi reindeer herding community with regards to their long tradition of being engaged in reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing in the area is of irrelevance to the case. In order to be eligible to claim immemorial prescription, said claim has to be based on a 90 years long use of an area. Any additional use for a longer period of time is of irrelevance to the legality of the claim.”
“Because of the claim that it is of importance that the Sámi have been using this area, the State is of the opinion that it is of utmost importance to define what is meant by the term Sámi, and how specific such a definition really is.

This is what the following material is meant to do.”

(Excerpts from the State Attorney’s intervention during the hearing in the court case between the Sámi reindeer herding community Girjas - from whence Sofia Jannok’s grandmother came - and the Swedish State. Gällivare Lapland District Court, June, 2015.)


Song lyrics:

This is my land, this is my country and if I’d be the queen you’d see that I’d take everyone by hand and sing it so it’s out there
that we’ll paint this land blue, yellow, red and green

If you say that this girl’s not welcome in this country, if she must leave because her face is brown

Well, then I’d say you go first ’cause frankly this is my land and here we live in peace, I’ll teach you how

This is my pride, this is my freedom, this is the air that I breathe and you’ll find no kings, no queens, here everybody’s equal - men, women and all who are in between

This is my home, this is my heaven, this is the earth where I belong and if you want to ruin it all with big wounds in the mountains then you’re not worthy of listening to this song

This is my land, this is my country, these lakes, rivers, hills and woods If you open up your eyes you’ll find someone is lying

I’ve always been here, welcome to my hood

Sameland is the area in yellow.