Sámi People 2

Sámi People

Introduction:

The Sámi people are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden , Finland, and the Kola Peninsula within the Murmansk Oblast of Russia. The Sámi have historically been known in English as Lapps or Laplanders. Sámi ancestral lands are not well-defined. Their traditional languages are the Sámi languages which are classified as a branch of the Uralic language family. The terms “Lapp” and “Lapland” are regarded as offensive by some Sami people, who prefer the area’s name in their own language, “Sápmi”.

Sámi People 3
Homeland of the Sámi People

Traditionally, the Sámi have pursued a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding.

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Sámi Man from Norway

Currently about 10% of the Sámi are connected to reindeer herding, providing them with meat, fur, and transportation. 2,800 Sámi people are actively involved in reindeer herding on a full-time basis in Norway. For traditional, environmental, cultural, and political reasons, reindeer herding is legally reserved for only Sámi people in some regions of the Nordic countries. The vast majority of the Sámi are now urbanized and their traditional culture is under threat.

The Flag of the Sámi People:

The Sami flag was inaugurated during the Sami Conference in Åre, Sweden, on 15 August 1986. It was the result of a competition for which many suggestions were entered. The winning design was submitted by the artist Astrid Båhl from Skibotn, Norway.

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Sámi People’s Flag

The motif was derived from the shaman’s drum and the poem “Paiven parneh” (“Sons of the Sun”) by the South Sami Anders Fjellner describing the Sami as sons and daughters of the sun. The flag has the Sami colours, red, green, yellow and blue, and the circle represents the sun (red) and the moon (blue).

Additional Information:

More information about the Sámi people, including current news items, is available from the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs based in Copenhagen, Denmark.  An overview of Sámi history and culture can be found here, a resource that includes many linkages for additional detailed information.

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