Gabriel Kuhn's Blog

Film About Sámi Resistance Figther Niillas Somby

By Gabriel Kuhn
January 23rd, 2025

Niillas Somby is an icon of the Sámi resistance movement. In 1982, he lost an arm and an eye during a failed attempt to damage a bridge leading to a hydropower dam construction site. The action was part of the struggle against development plans along the Áltá River, a pivotal moment in the history of the Sámi defending their rights as the indigenous people of northern Europe. Facing a long prison term, Somby managed to escape to Canada where he was adopted and sheltered by First Nations until the main charges against him were dropped and it was safe for him and his family to return to Norway.

Niillas Somby is featured in the PM Press book Liberating Sápmi: Indigenous Resistance in Europe’s Far North. Recently, PM Press acquired the English-language rights for his autobiography, planned to be released in 2026.

At the moment, a 20-minute short film about his life is making the rounds of European film festivals. Titled In My Hand, it is an artistic and visually stunning summary of his life as a Sámi activist, capturing the spirit of Sámi dissatisfaction with both the colonial policies of the Nordic nation states and the intrusion of multinational companies into their homelands. At the Tromsø International Film Festival in mid-January, it received the jury’s prize for best short in the “Films from the North” program.

The recognition of In My Hand comes at a crucial time, with political developments threatening indigenous and minority rights worldwide. To keep the spirit of resistance alive, in whatever form, is a matter of survival – for indigenous peoples, and everyone else.


Gabriel Kuhn is an author, translator, and union activist. He has published widely in English and German. His texts have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Liberating Sápmi: Indigenous Resistance in Europe’s Far North