The Sámi
The Indigenous peoples of Lapland
For centuries, the far north of Europe has been inhabited by groups of indigenous peoples who have had to adapt their lifestyle to the rough climate of the region. With a population estimated to be about 80,000 people nowadays, they still have a strong connection with their traditions and their culture can be felt all over Lapland.
Let's take a look at how the Sámi managed to adapt their lifestyle to the harsh conditions of nordic winters, their culture and traditions as well as how they now live side by side with modern technology.
History
The Sámi are various groups of peoples that inhabitate Sápmi, a region that encompasses northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.
Origins
The first inhabitants of the Sámi region advanced towards the north as the glaciers of the last Ice Age receded. It is not clear whether these people were direct ancestors of the Sámi, but the region has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. The Sámi share genetic and linguistic ties to the Finns. However, there are genetically distinct populations within Sámi peoples itself. It is likely that their larger culture emerged as a mix of several groups sharing similar lifestyles.
Traditional Lifestyle
Originally, the Sámi are known for being nomadic people and reindeer herders. Family groups would follow herds of migrating reindeer from coastal mountain pastures in summer to lichen-covered plains in winter. Therefore, the traditional Sámi lifestyle consisted mainly of hunting, fishing and trading. It was preserved until around the 1500s, when the modern structures of the Nordic countries were established.
The Sámi nowadays
After the national borders were established, the Sámi adapted in several ways due to the reindeer's ancient migration paths drawing taxes. Some settled into coastal communities and stopped living a nomadic lifestyle, while other reshaped their migratory patterns and reduced their pasturage. Today, the majority of the 80,000 people who identify as Sámi lead modern lifestyles, being members of their parent nations. Nonetheless, about 10,000 Sámi people continue to practice reindeer herding.
Culture & Traditions
Just like many indigenous peoples, the Sámi developped many unique traditions that are still alive to this day and that make their culture a rich and interesting part of their lifestyle.
Languages
There were originally eleven Sámi languages. Today, only nine of them have survived and are still spoken in the Sámi region. They are all different but closely related, and they all belong to the Uralic linguistic group, along with languages such as Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian.
Crafts and Fashion
The Sámi are great fashion designers, and their outfit, called The Gákti, is probably one of the most distinctive attribute of their culture. It is mostly used when dressing up for celebrations such as weddings.
In addition, the Sámi still maintain many traditions of craftsmanship such as pearl adornment, weaving shoelaces, jacket seams, wood carving and knife-making.
The Joik
The Joik is one of the oldest song traditions in Europe. It is still alive and sang by the Sámi to this day. It represents a song dedicated to a person, an animal or a place in which the melodies reproduce the qualities of the object of the song.
Myths & Legends
The Sámi have a rich tradition of storytelling, and their knowledge was passed on through oral traditions over generations. Ancient religion and stories were rich, full of legends and beliefs that were very important in understanding man’s communion with nature. All animate and inanimate things, whether it be animals, water, rocks or natural phenomenons had their own mystical guardians and gods. Each Sámi group had their own ideas of life after death and other dimensions of the universe. Sorcerers and shamans represented the highest level of learning as they were able to make a bridge between the living and the deads, and explain phenomenons that ordinary people could not understand.