The workshop leading to this special issue is part of an international, interdisciplinary project 'Indigenous health in transition' led by Per Axelsson, Tahu Kukutai and Rebecca Kippen. We thank the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Swedish Research Council for funding this project; and Vaartoe/Centre for Sami Research at Umeå University, the Arctic Research Centre at Umeå University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities for providing additional support for the workshop. We also thank the workshop participants, article authors, article reviewers, and the Journal of Population Research.