Scandinavia

Saami

The Saami live in northern Fennoscandia and on the Kola Peninsula of northwest Russia. The Saami homeland is located in four different countries, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, but their shared culture and history makes it natural to describe all Saami together.

Saami populations, number of individuals and percent of total population.

There are no completely reliable estimates of the number of Saami people, both because of different definitions of who is Saami and because ethnicity is not included in recent national census figures. Furthermore, some people with Saami ancestry choose not to identify themselves as Saami. Adjusted older data puts the figure at about 85,000 people. Of these, approximately 50,000 live in the Arctic, where they make up about 2.5 percent of the region’s population.

In 1751, the civil rights of the Saami were recognized in the Saami Codicil. This supplement to a new border treaty between Norway and Sweden was written to solve problems of double taxation for the Saami, whose traditional migration routes had little to do with administrative boundaries. Today, the Saami parliaments in Norway, Sweden, and Finland are exploring a common platform across national borders. People who perceive themselves as Saami and who also speak Saami as their first language or have a parent or grandparent who speaks Saami as a first language are eligible to vote for the Saami parliaments.

Nation states have steered living conditions

The Saami homeland is divided by national borders. Both historically and today, lives of Saami people are heavily influenced by the different nation states. In all countries, the Saami homelands have been colonized by the majority populations. In Sweden, for example, settlers and miners used Saami land and labor to develop the northern part of the country. Conflicts over land use are still common, especially in connection with development of hydroelectric power and the right to use forest areas for reindeer grazing in winter. Increased recreational hunting is also seen as competition for traditional Saami resources.

The Saami poet Ingahilda Tapio has written about land that has been lost to hydroelectric dams:

long, long ago
there were small lakes here
rapids, sounds, bays
small rivers
now all is under water

long, long ago
there were cloudberries here
Sámi tents by the lakes
now all is under water

long, long ago
this was a peaceful place
with fawning reindeer cows
now all is under water

In Norway, the traditional Saami area extends from Finnmark west and south to Hedmark. The Saami in this region were originally nomadic. They were forced to change their system of migration and resource use because game populations were declining and because Norse settlements were increasing along the coast. Some became small farmers, combining fishing and trapping along the fjords. Others became reindeer herders or settled on the coast. The different groups continue to interact.

Today, Saami in Sweden live primarily in Norrbotten and Västerbotten and in the mountain fields of Jämtland and Härjedalen. Only 15 percent of the Saami are engaged in reindeer herding, the rest in occupations similar to the rest of the population. There are over 500 reindeer owners among the Saami of the region, of whom about half are engaged in reindeer breeding.

The Saami in Finland were originally settled hunting and trapping societies. Finns moving north forced them northwards where they developed a combination of reindeer herding and fishing. Today, most Saami in Finland live in four municipalities: Inari, Enontekiö, Utsjoki, and northern Sodankylä. Saami have no special rights, but improvement in regulations of reindeer herding have allowed living conditions for Saami to approach those of the general population.

In Russia, immigrant populations pushed the migratory Saami northwards, beginning in the 17th century. Later changes, such as the demarcation of national boundaries and the closing of the Soviet border, forced further alterations to migratory patterns. Economic policies and a policy of assimilation, especially during the Soviet period, led to additional disruptions in the traditional way of life. Today there are 11 Saami villages, of which Lovozero is the largest.

Reindeer herding, fishing, and farming are parts of Saami life

The Saami way of life today varies depending on where people live; see figure above. In Norway, the majority live in fjord societies, combining farming with fishing in local waters. Over the whole Saami area, fjord Saami make up more than a third of the total Saami population. In Norway, there are also some coastal societies, based on sea fishing. Almost one third of the Saami belong to inland societies, engaged in farming, reindeer husbandry, and some freshwater fishing. The rest make a living in the regular cash economy, often in combination with traditional activities.

The Saami diet reflects the natural resources in the region. Coastal Saami have a diet high in fish, especially cod, and marine products. Fjord Saami eat some fish, most likely from local stocks, and also farm produce. Inland Saami consume large amounts of reindeer meat, as well as some freshwater fish. Farmers consume large amounts of lamb meat.

Most hunting in the Saami areas today is recreational, and is usually done by urban residents visiting the area. While bringing some economic benefits, sport hunting for ptarmigan also conflicts with traditional Saami hunting and other occupations.

Today reindeer herding is increasingly carried out with the help of modern technology, such as snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and helicopters, and in many cases as a business enterprise rather than as a subsistence activity.