Arctic Indigenous People Inhabiting Sapmi The Sami People Arctic Indigenous People Inhabiting Sapmi

Location Sami people live in 4 main countries Norway Sweden Finland and Russia Today there are about 80,000 Sami, half of which live in Norway. The Sami are one of the largest indigenous ethnic groups in Europe they are also one of the smallest indigenous groups in the world.

History The Sami inhabited the northern artic and sub-artic regions of Scandinavia and Russia for at least 5000 years There are archaeological findings dating settlement to about 10,000 BC. It is believed that the ancient Sami people followed receding glaciers inland from the artic coast at the end of the last ice age. Since the Sami are the earliest ethnic group in the area they are considered an indigenous population of the area.

DNA The Sami have a protein polymorphism that is different from the Scandinavian population. The genetic lineage of the Sami is unique and that has made it extensively studied. The mitochondrial DNA shows the Sami are a subset of the European gene-pool however the Y-DNA shows the Sami have Asian origins. It appears that the origin of the Sami is both Asian and European and their appearance reflects this. Eg some have blond hair and blue eyes like European Scandinavians and some are indistinguishable from East Asians and Inuit.

Language Sami languages baling to the Uralic languages family of Eurasia, which suggests that they may be Siberian origin. The language is called “Lap” and Sami people were called “Laplanders” which is considered a pejorative term. In Scandinavian languages “lapp” means a patch for mending clothing.

Lifestyle Though in most aspects the Sami have been assimilated in modern society they still retain their traditional culture and lifestyle. The majority live in permanent urban and rural settings. There are still some Sami who maintain elements of their nomadic life as reindeer herders and they follow their hoards over large areas though they use modern equipment eg snowmobiles.

Herding Originally the Sami were hunters and fishers. Around 1500AD they started taming reindeer into herding groups and switching to a nomadic lifestyle. Today all reindeer in Sami areas are tame and owned by someone. About 10% of all Sami still herd reindeer. Reindeer herding is at the heart of Sami lifestyle and culture. Sami people are the only ones allowed to herd reindeer in Sweden.

Religion Shamanism was the dominant belief system till the 1800’s they are related to the land, animism and the supernatural. Their religion is characterised by pantheism with an emphasis on personal spirituality and interconnectivity with one’s own daily life. The Sami religion also includes elements with the Norse, possibly from early contact with Viking traders.

Religion cont. Roman Catholic missionaries began trying to convert the Sami in the 1300’s. Protestants, particularly the Lutherans increased pressure on the Sami. The rune drums were banned which caused Sami to practice their own religion at home and go to church on Sunday. In the 17th century many Sami were accused of sourcery and subject to witchcraft and trials.

Handicrafts Duodji, the Sami handicraft is an essential part of Sami culture. It originates from the time when the Sami were self-supporting nomads. The items were not decorative they had a purpose. Men used mostly wood, bone and antlers to make items such as knives, drums and cups. Women used leather and roots to make clothing and baskets.

Music A feature of Sami music is the singing of yolk/jolk which was part of their oral tradition. The songs were sung a cappella, slowly and deep in the throat. They were often dedicated to animals and birds and for special occasions. Rune drum

Clothing Gakti are the traditional clothing worn by the Sami both a ceremonial and working (herding) context. The Gakti was made from reindeer leather and sinews but today wool, cotton or silk are used. Traditional colours are red, blue, green and white. Women's clothing consisted of a dress, a fringed shawl fastened with 1-3 silver broaches, boots were made of reindeer fur or leather – they could have either pointed or curled toes. Eastern Sami boots have rounded toes with beaded detail.

Clothing – cont. Men’s gakti have shorter “jacket-skirt” than the women’s long dress. Hats can be wool, leather or fur and can be embroider or beaded in the east which are more like a shawl with a hood. Gakti can have a belt and it often has leather pouches antler needle cases and often a carved knife. Colours, patterns and jewellery indicate where a person is from, if they are married and even a particular family. Some regions have ribbon work and others have embroidery and beading.

Assimilation Many attempts have been made to assimilate the Sami resulting in the loss of their culture. Loss of language and culture was achieved by having children taken from their families and put into boarding school. The Sami language was banned in school as was their religious beliefs. Between 1913 and 1920 the Swedish race-segregation policy led to many Sami women being sterilised which continued till 1975. In the 1990’s the Swedish government revoked exclusive Sami rights for hunting within their communities and allowed non-Sami people to fish in previously reserved lakes.

Land Gabs Settlers have been encouraged to move to northern regions through incentives such as land and water rights, tax allowances and military exemptions. Strong economic development in the form of mines and the construction of a railway have weakened the status and economy for the Sami.

Apology 1998 the Sweden apologised for the wrongs committed against the Sami. Since then the authorities have been trying to build up cultural institutions and promote Sami culture and language to make up for the oppression of the past. In 1993 on January 1st the Swedish Parliament was established. The Compulsory School Ordinance entitled Sami children to be taught in their native language however, there are still loopholes.

The End Images from Google Images Text from Wikipedia and www.nordicway.com/search.Sami.htm © MT Miller 2012