The
Sami
(also spelled as
Saami
or
Sami
) are an
ethnic group
of people. Their
homeland
is
Sapmi
, which is in far northern
Europe
:
Norway
,
Sweden
,
Finland
and
Russia
. There are from 80,000 to 135,000 Sami people in the world. The Sami are sometimes called Lapps, but this is insulting
[1]
and has a
negative
meaning. In English the area is sometimes still called
Lapland
.
There are 10 different
Sami languages
. Six of the languages can be
written
. The other four have very few speakers.
"Archaeological research indicates that a culture identified as Sami arose in the Scandinavian peninsula between 1500 and 1000 B.C."
[2]
The first writing that includes the Sami is from about 98 A.D. by
Tacitus
.
[3]
One
description
from 896 was told to
Alfred the Great
by Ohthere of Halogaland, who was a Norwegian
chieftain
.
[2]
Old
Norse
stories, such as the Icelandic
sagas
, talk about the Sami. "
Olav Tryggvason
's Saga says "that the king killed a big man who was "
troll
-wise" and "there followed him a great number of Finns whenever he had need of them".
[2]
("
Finns"
is a name that sometimes meant "Sami people".)
In the
19th century
, Russia stopped allowing
reindeer farmers
and their reindeer
herds
to come travel over the Norway-Russia
border
. Some of the Sami reindeer farmers, moved to another
Nordic
country, and took their reindeer herds into Russia (but not through the Norway-Russia border); later another country's border with Russia, was closed to herds from reindeer farming (coming into Russia).
During the 16th century there was more farms in Finland. Farmers from the province of Savonia went to Middle Finland, and the original Sami people often had to leave this land.
At
Dovrefjell
when
Harald Hardrada
was king, there was
profit
from the keeping of
herds
of
reindeer
, and the business was very popular.
[4]
In regard to Sami (in Norway) that had reindeer herds; when these Sami moved their herds (every year), then they would interact with people who lived permanently on the coast; the
interaction
also included
verdde
: a friendship of
convenience
; for example, Sami needed milk and fish after having been on a
plateau
(or
highland
) for some weeks; Sami might need
repair
of equipment; trade was done: People from the coast traded fish for meat from reindeer.
[5]
Regarding getting the Sami to change their
religion
to
Christianity
: In the 18th century
Thomas von Westen
(no)
, a
pietist
, led missionary work (among the Sami), that has been called a concerted
[2]
(or special)
effort
. "About a century later,
Niels Vibe Stockfleth
(no)
worked among the Sami and translated [the
Bible
's]
New Testament
into" [one of the Sami languages].
[2]
People living permanently on the coast in North Norway, were [largely] Sami; these Sami had permanent housing, and it became easier
[5]
for these Sami to stop behaving like Sami; in some areas one was not allowed to own land, if one was Sami; some Sami changed names, to names that might sound more Norwegian (and family names such as Sæter, Strømeng, and Kalvemo became new family names).
Sami language [largely] disappeared among the Coastal Sami.
[5]
Sami that did
reindeer farming
, and Coastal Sami slowly lost the close contact [between the two
groups
].
[5]
Policies to "Norwegianize" the Sami
[
change
|
change source
]
"There were organized attempts to
eradicate
[or make to
disappear
] the Sami language and culture[,] as a step in
assimilating
the Sami into Norwegian society".
[6]
Policies
to "Norwegianize", Samis - were in place from the late 1840s,
into the 1980s.
[7]
"From the late 1840s to the 1950s, missionaries,
agricultural
experts and schoolteachers" tried "to
Norwegianize
the Sami"; the "first formal act of
Parliament
regarding the Norwegianization of the Sami people was made in 1848: 'The government is requested to
investigate
... [find out if, and how far] there should be opportunity to bring the Norwegian Lapps, especially those living in coastal areas ,
instruction
in the Norwegian language for the
enlightenment
of these people, and that the result of their findings be reported to the next Parliament'".
[2]
Norway's
authorities
made "a language
directive
(or rule) in 1880, which" was "made more forceful in 1898. It" said "that 'Teachers in those districts where the Lappish ... and Finnish (
kvænsk
) languages are permitted for the sake of
facilitating
instruction in the
public schools
shall do their utmost to spread knowledge of the Norwegian language and seek to promote its use in the circles where they work'".
[2]
Furthermore, the "government had a major objective for the schools: Not a single Sami word was to be heard on the school
grounds
" or in school buildings.
[2]
"The authorities also" used "economic
measures
to carry out the work of Norwegianization, including the
Land Act
. A
regulation
[or part of the law] from 1902" says that "Sale [of land]
[2]
may only be made to Norwegian citizens ... who can speak, read, and write the Norwegian language and use it on a day-to-day basis".
A
report
by the "Parliamentary School Commission, appointed in 1922" said, without being able to show [
evidence
], "that that the Sami are less
educable
[or able to learn] than others"; the report also said that the Sami population is less gifted
[2]
and the "Sami culture does not lend itself to development".
From around 1850, a government
policy
of
Fornorskning
[tried to remove Sami culture].
[7]
An article in
Klassekampen
said that the policy was very rough [to Sami persons].
[5]
Into the 1980s, the policy of
Fornorskning
lasted in some places.
[7]
[Possibly the first] Sami
association
(in Norway) was started during the New Year's weekend in 1911:
Buolbmag Same Særvve
, in
Polmak
municipality.
[8]
(Polmak is now part of
Tana (municipality)
.)
The first Sami association in Sweden, seems to have been started in 1903:
Tarnaby
lappeforening
.
In 1826, Russia has not allowed reindeer herds and their Sami owners, to travel from Norway to Russia.
Since 1852, Russia has not allowed reindeer herds and their Sami owners, to travel from Norway to Russia
Reindeer farming,
[2]
which is a type of
animal husbandry
, is done by Sami, between the
White Sea
and towards the west and the south, across Russia's
Kola
peninsula
, Finland, Sweden and Norway, into the
Hedmark
area of Norway's county of Innlandet.
In reindeer farming, "the Sami travel with their
flocks
(of reindeer) according to an established
cycle
"; the cycle makes sure "that the" [reindeer] can eat properly during the various [or different] seasons of the year. For example, the spring
migration
to summer pastures, which have a rich variety of grasses and
herbs
, takes place just before new
calves
are born in May. Summer is a time when the calves grow and the adult animals regain their strength following a long, hard winter".
[2]
Among the Sami people are
nomads
that do reindeer farming. They lived in their cold
environment
by
domesticating
the reindeer. They were able to get everything they needed from the deer. They ate mostly
meat
,
milk
, and
cheese
. Their
clothing
was made from reindeer
skins
and
wool
. Their
tents
were also made from raindeer skins. The wool clothes were beautifully decorated.
The Sami protected the
herds
, moving with them as they
migrated
from
summer
to
winter
pastures
. They used reindeer to pull
sleds
carrying their supplies. During the winter, the herds moved south of where the trees grew. The Sami lived nearby in homes made of
logs
or
sod
.
Winter clothing was made from layers of reindeer skin. The inside layer would be worn with the
fur
facing in toward the person's skin. The second layer was worn with the fur facing out.
Boots
were also made of fur and lined with
grass
that had been gathered during the short summer. Every evening the grass would be taken out and dried by the fire, so it would be ready to use again the next day. This way, a Sami could be warm and comfortable in even the coldest
weather
.
Today only a few of the Sami people still follow the herds. Those few use modern
tools
on their ancient migration. They use
snowmobiles
to herd the reindeer and
rifles
to kill the
wolves
that chase them. Even
helicopters
and
radios
are used to locate and move the reindeer. Most of the Sami now live on small
farms
in one of the four
nations
of
Lapland
. They raise crops and animals, including a few reindeer, to meet their needs. The sale of reindeer meat is an important source of
income
for the Sami people.
The Sami did not waste anything they got from the reindeer. The milk was used to drink or make cheese. Meat was taken for food. The
blood
was frozen and later used for
soup
and
pancakes
, called Blodplattar.
Knives
and
belt
buckles were carved from the
bones
and
antlers
. The sinews (tendons) were used as sewing thread. Cleaned-out stomachs were used to carry milk or cheese. Every part of a dead reindeer was used.
Sami
crafts
are called
duodji
(en:)
. The men make knives,
drums
and 'guksi' (burl cups) from
wood
,
bone
, and antlers. The women use
leather
and
roots
to make 'gakti' (clothing). Women also use
birch
and
spruce
to weave
baskets
.
Sami clothing is called 'gakti' and was originally made from
reindeer
leather
, but now it is usually made from wool,
cotton
, or
silk
. Usually, there are different types of clothing for men and women.
Sami
shamanism
is the main
religion
of the Sami people. These
beliefs
are connected to the land,
animism
, and the
supernatural
. There is some practice of
bear worship
. It is a
polytheistic
religion with many
gods
. The Sami shaman are called the 'Noadi'. There are some 'wise men' and 'wise women' who try to
heal
people who are
sick
. They use
rituals
and
herbal
medicine
. Some Sami people have changed their beliefs to
Christianity
and joined either the
Russian Orthodox Church
or the
Lutheran
.
Publications
by
Snorri Sturluson
(1178-1241) say that a Sami woman, Snøfrid, married
Harald Fairhair
. It also said that none of her children or grandchildren became kings; first when
Harald Hardrada
became a king, then her blood became part of the blood of the royal family.
[9]
The character Kristoff in the 2013
Disney
film
Frozen
is Sami. The song that plays in the movie's first scene,
Frozen Heart
, was written by the South Sami composer Frode Fjellheim. It is in a traditional Sami style called Vuelie. Some people said that Kristoff was not a good way to show Sami because he is light-skinned and blond. This is called
whitewashing
. Although some Sami look like Kristoff, most have darker skin and hair. When making the 2019 sequel,
Frozen II
, Disney signed a contract with Sami leaders and hired Sami experts to make sure the culture would be shown respectfully.
[10]