FSC Indigenous Foundation
Council / PIPC
Niila Inga is a reindeer herder from the Laevas reindeer herding community in Giron/Kiruna, on the Swedish side of Sápmi. With over two decades of experience in reindeer husbandry, he has witnessed firsthand the challenges of land exploitation by extractive industries and has dedicated his life to defending Sámi rights, culture, and traditional livelihoods.
Since 2020, Niila has represented Europe as a member of the Permanent Indigenous Peoples’ Committee (PIPC) and also serves as a Councilmember of the FSC Indigenous Foundation. He has chaired the Laevas reindeer herding community for 10 years and played a leading role in projects addressing land encroachment and mining impacts across Sápmi.
Politically active, Niila has held roles in municipal politics, the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, WWF’s Board of Trustees, the Swedish EPA’s National Mountain Safety Council, and served as President of the Sámi Association in Sweden (SSR). He also managed the Saami Council’s EU-Sápmi knowledge project and collaborates with Umeå and Stockholm Universities on research related to climate change and extractive industries’ land use