Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sami Sites
» Varanger Sami Museum, Varangerbotn
» Ceavccageadge, Mortensnes
» Sápmi Park, Karasjok
» Sami Parliament, Karasjok
» Sami National Museum, Karasjok
» Kautokeino Museum, Kautokeino
From 1979 to 1981, an increasingly bitter Sami protest in Oslo against a proposed dam
on Sami traditional lands drew attention to the struggle for Sami rights - for more on
this and on Sami traditional architecture,
Click here
. In 1988 the Norwegian government
passed an enlightened constitutional amendment stating: 'It is the responsibility of the au-
thorities of the State to create conditions enabling the Sami people to preserve and devel-
op its language, culture and way of life.' It also provided for the creation of an elected
39-memberSamiParliament,Sameting(
www.samediggi.no
),toserveasanadvisorybody
to bring Sami issues to the national parliament (similar bodies also exist in Finland and
Sweden).
In early 1990 the government passed the Sami Language Act, which gave the Sami lan-
guage and Norwegian equal status. Later the same year, Norway ratified the International
Labour Organisation proposition No 169, which guaranteed the rights of indigenous and
tribal peoples.
Although Sami rights are supported by most parties across the political spectrum, the
Sami'sstrugglecontinues.Theright-wingFremskrittspartiethascalledfortheSamiParlia-
ment to be abolished.
Reindeerherding,oncethemainstayoftheSamieconomy,wassuccessfullymodernised
in the 1980s and 1990s and is now a major capital earner. In addition to reindeer herding,
modern Sami engage in fishing, agriculture, trade, small industry and the production of
music.
According to Norway's national statistics bureau, just under 10% (or around 3000) of Norway's Sami are
involved in reindeer herding, primarily in the Finnmark region of Norway's far north, including roughly
equal numbers of men and women.
