History Of The Sami People
The indigenous nomadic groups of people, hailing from the northern regions of Europe can be found in parts of Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia and most predominantly, in Sweden.
The history of the people has established that they follow an essentially nomadic lifestyle, which was based on trading, fishing and hunting activities. The way of life of the Sami people has however, been influenced by external factors in the last two hundred years and a more permanent type of lifestyle has evolved with the formalization and modernization of life in the Nordic countries.
The Sami people were known to have as many as 11 different languages and dialects as has been established by some documents and historical accounts. Only nine of these languages have survived to the present times and it is found that a number of these too are near extinction.
The Sami People In The Present Time
The population of the Sami people in the present day and age is estimated to be around 40,000 in total. The people have mixed traditional practices with modern ways, for example, when it comes to caring for the herds and rounding them up modern technologies such as helicopters, snow scooters and mobile phones are used. The Sami people have settled into permanent homes in villages and towns but ancient cultures and ways continue to influence life. Handicrafts and homemade produce are an important part of life and fairs and fetes define social ways.
The Culture Of The People
The culture of the Sami people can be best observed during fairs and festivals. The traditional dresses and knee length costumes in red and blue and hand woven ribbons continue to find favour with generations.
Jewellery is representative of various things in Sami culture, and simply by looking at adornments one can tell whether a person is married or single, which region he or she belongs to, whether they bear the mark of a particular family and so on.
Culture is predominant in the practice of handicrafts. Making utilitarian items such as knives, cups, drums, clothing and basket from indigenous raw materials is a trademark of the Sami culture.
Regions The Sami People Are Based In
There is no formal geographical demarcation for the people. They can be found in Finnmark county, Nordland county, Troms county and Nord-Trøndelag county in Norway. In Sweden the people can be found in Dalarnas Län county, Jämtlands Län county, Norrbottens Län county and Västerbottens Län county. In Finland the Sami people are based in the Lapland Region and in Russia they are found in Murmansk oblast.