Metal mining is a critical component for manufacturing clean technologies to enable the transition to a climate-neutral economy. Metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earths are the core components to manufacture batteries, wind turbines and electric vehicles. Currently, the European market relies almost entirely on mining and refining the required metals from a handful of countries. This is where the ecological and (geo-)political discussion occurs: why doesn't Europe takes the mining of such metals into its own hands? It's possible on paper: Europe does have significant geological reserves of those metals. Especially in the far North where there's plenty of copper, nickel and rare earth metals, but these areas are home to the Sami, whose lifestyle is endangered. Is Europe prepared to open energy transition mines on its own soil?  And what will be the social, environmental and cultural consequences for the Sami?