In Finland, generations of Saami children have attended State-run boarding schools, including this year’s now two-time chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Anne Nuorgam, whose experiences as a young girl not only left an indelible mark but also informed her life’s choices.

At UN Headquarters in New York to participate in the forum, the long serving Saami politician explained to Liz Scaffidi the importance of treaty bodies, laws and conventions but began by talking about her roots back home.