Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Sami
Europe's only indigenous people, the ancestors of the Sami, migrated to the
north of present-day Scandinavia, following the path of the retreating ice.
They lived by hunting reindeer in the area spanning from Norway's Atlantic
coast to the Kola Peninsula in Russia, collectively known as Sápmi.
Sápmi & Modern Sweden
By the 17th century, the depletion of reindeer herds had transformed the Sami's hunting
economy into a nomadic herding economy. Until the 1700s, the Sami lived in
siida
(village
units or communities), migrating for their livelihoods, but only within their own defined
areas. Those areas were recognised and respected by the Swedish government until colon-
isation of Lappland began in earnest, and the Sami found their traditional rights and liveli-
hoods threatened both by the settlers and by the establishment of borders between Sweden,
Norway, Finland and Russia.
Who Is a Sami?
In Sweden today, the stereotype of the nomadic reindeer herder has been replaced with the
multifaceted reality of modern Sami life. According to the Sámediggi (Sami parliament)
statutes, a Sami is a person who feels oneself to be Sami, who either knows the Sami lan-
guage or who has had at least one parent or grandparent who spoke Sami as their mother
tongue.
The Sami population of Sápmi numbers around 100,000, out of whom around 45,000 live
in Norway, 27,000 or so in Sweden, slightly fewer in Finland and some 2000 in Russia.
These numbers are approximate, as a census has never taken place. Famous people of Sami
descent include Joni Mitchell and Renee Zellweger.
The Sami Information Centre in Östersund (
www.samer.se
)
is a treasure trove of informa-
tion on all aspects of Sami life - from history and present-day culture to politics and food.
