Background Information

It was two thousand years ago that the Sami people were assumed to have inhabited what is present-day Finland. Their family groups (siida) were built on unity and natural resources. Some lived the nomadic lifestyle, traveling from place to place. These nomads are the most well known because of the reindeer breeding that they made so popular. They followed wherever the reindeer went. Whereas others chose a more permanent and stable lifestyle. It was the more settled Sami that made their living off of fishing.Since hunting and fishing were what the Sami based their livelihood off of, trading with fellow tribes was a vital key to survival. The leader of such groups was typically the eldest man or woman of the group. It was he/she that chose where the siida would go and who would do what jobs. This wisdom of these elders combined with the will of the gods was what society rested on.


Source: http://www.samenland.nl/lap_sami_si.html

How war affects their existence

The Sami people were not faced with the issue of war, but instead were faced with the hardship of racism. It first began in 1800 when ideals of superior and inferior cultures came about. It was then viewed that nomads were inferior to farmers. The Sami were then deprived of land that was rightfully theirs. Since farmers knew that reindeer husbandry was their main resource, the Same were forced to pay for land that they was called their own. Farmers viewed the Sami as insignificant. They displayed such hatred by burning down forests and pastures to rid the Sami of one their main resources, cattle. By removing the cattle's place of gathering, it made it all the more difficult for the Sami to herd them. Only towards the middle of the 19th century did people finally begin to hurt over the suffering of the Sami people. Parliament attempted to ease the majority of the Sami struggles by suspending the transfer of Sami land to farmers in 1841. Eventually land was purchased specifically for the Sami only. This established act of legislation was hard to interpret at times with caused conflicts at times. During the last decades of the 19th century the biology of racial discrimination rose to the forefront of issues. Sami people were seen as born with "racial characteristics" that burdened them with an inability to live as civilized people. Parliament believed that they would neglect the reindeer and become beggars. therefore Sami lost the right to hunt and fish in treasured areas any longer. It was not only the agricultural area that was influenced by such racial discrimination, but the educational systems as well. Children who were unfortunate enough to be born of a Sami nomad were denied educational rights. Nomads were forced to protest on multiple occasions for their children to be treated fairly. After WWII in the 1930s the nomad schools were forced to teach the nomad children on the same standards as the Swedish educational system. The struggle for Sami rights continued as the battle of "racial biology" was consistent. It was clear that the Sami must fight long and hard to cherish their culture and traditions.

Kvarfordt, Karin, Nils-Henrik Sikku, Michael Teilus, and Robert Crofts. The Sámi: An Indigenous People in Sweden. Kiruna, Sweden: National Sámi Information Centre, 2005. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.samer.se/2137>.

How Globalization effects their Existence.

-In Norway,  there is a policy to recognize Sami language, including teaching it in schools.And protection of the culture through museums.

-Sweden does not recognize the Sami as a separate people; but they do recognize them as an ethnic minority.

-Northern Sami of Sweden lack protection for their herding areas.  Which are increasingly threatened by mining and nuclear and hydropower plants.

-Under Finnish law the Sami have no rights to lands, water or traditional sources of livelihood. 

-Finland allows those without native ancestry to use reindeer.

-Finnish government has played an important role in publishing Sami textbooks and dictionaries as to preserve their culture. 

-Each of the three Nordic States have Sami "Parliaments".

Heininen, Lassi. Southcott, Chris. Globalization of the Circumpolar North: Changing forms of Goverance in the North. University of Alaska Press. 2010.

Subsistence

-Members of their traditional community of families (Siida) cooperated in hunting, trapping, fishing.
-Herd Reindeer.
-The Sami would traditionally maintain permanent dwellings, sometimes more than one.
-The Sami spent part of their time living in tents (called Lavvo).
-Their tents and huts were arranged around a central fire.
-Tents (lavvo): were a circular framework of poles leaning inward like the Native American teepee or wigwam and a floor of birch twigs covered with layers of reindeer fur.
-Today, most Sami are no longer reindeer herders and are living in typical Scandinavian houses with central heating and running water.
-Family life typically centers on the kitchen.
-They recieve the same level of healthcare as other citizens of the countries they live in.
-They have high rates of heart disease, like their Scandinavian neighbors.
-They're often active and healthy thriugh their 80s.
-Sometimes they supplement western style medical care with home remedies or treatment from old beliefs in curing powers of the word of the Shaman or medicine man.

Countries and their Cultures: Sami. [Online] www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Sami.html#b. 2012.

Sami Language

-All in all the Sami have a Finno-Ugric language that's closely related to Finnish, Estonian, Livonian, Voltic and many other little-know languages.
-Their dialects vary from region to region.
-There are a total if 50 dialects divided into 3 major groups: East, Central and South.
-These dialects are all unintelligible to each other, meaning different dialects most likely don't understand each other .
-Almost all Sami speak the language of the country the reside in.

Population

The population of the Sami people consists of almost 20,000 people.

"SWEDEN.SE - the Official Gateway to Sweden." The Sami People. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Society/The-Sami-People/>.

How Multinational Incursions Affect the Sami

Before political borders were set up, the Sami people freely followed the migratory patterns of their reindeer in the areas currently occupied by Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The borders between Norway, Sweden and Finland were set between 1751 and 1809. These countries, however, did not impose strict regulations on the movement of the Sami people until 1917 when the Russian border was established and open travel became illegal. The Sami people were separated from their families and forced to live in smaller groups. Before, the Sami herders had as many as 500-1000 animals, the governments then stepped in set up strict regulations. Many were forced to abandon herding and go to settlement camps.

Source: http://www.polarnet.ca/tuktu/Reports/nwayrpt.html#3.1

Marriage in the Sami Tribe

People of the Sami Tribe usually get married around the age of 20. It is common for the bride to be older than the groom. In most cases, their parents selects their spouse, but with approval from the child. After marriage the son would separate form his family and get his own house with his family. In some cases he would have to work with his father-in-law for almost a year before getting his own home. An only son would stay with his parents until their deaths. At the time of marriage the couple is given many reindeer, either as gifts or the the girl's dowry. If a guy wanted to ask for the hand of a girl, he was to go to her home with someone to speak on his behalf. He was to ask to make and serve coffee for her family. If the parents agreed, they liked him. If the girl was unharnessed his reindeer, while the guys was trying impressing the parents the girl was interested in the guy as well. The traditional dress for a Sami wedding is called gákti or kolt

Source: http://www.everyculture.com/Russia-Eurasia-China/Saami-Kinship-Marriage-and-Family.html
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/dieda/hist/women.htm
http://traditionscustoms.com/people/sami-people

a Sami wedding

image source:http://www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/europe/norway/sami_people.php

Kinship and Family in the Sami Tribe

Kinship in the Sami tribe has a bilateral structure. There is equal significance in relationships from both the maternal and paternal sides. There is no existence of evidence supporting a clan structure in the Sami people. However, sources distinguish three groups of Lopi on the Kola Peninsula that perhaps correspond to the division along tribal lines. The Sami people are very open. They are very courteous and accepting. They will accept someone who is not full blooded. A person's attitudes toward their traditions is more important than their bloodlines.
In the past, the Sami people lived in family groups called the Siida. Today, the nuclear family is the norm. Each family in the Sami tribe has a mark. The herding families used this mark to distinguish their reindeer from those of another family.

Source: http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Sami.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/33100/Arctic/57868/Traditional-culture?anchor=ref518983
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Sami.aspx

 A Sami family around 1900

image source:http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sami

Media Effects on the Sami

Media has no negative effect on the Sami indigenous people. Media instead highlights the rich culture of the Sami, especially their language that is spoken. For example, the Sami have 300 words that mean "snow", but each word has its own precise definition. Also, the media's interests revolves around how the Sami are able to live in the harsh climate regions of Sweden,Norway. and parts of Russia. Due to the media, Sweden has recognized the Sami tribe. Sweden has granted the Sami people special protection and rights that benefit them till this day.

Source: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/ExpertMechanism/3rd/docs/contributions/SwedishEqualityOmbudsman_2.pdf

Climate Changes that Effect the Sami

The Sami indigenous people reside in the northern countries of Europe and are affected by harsh winters and scorching summers that forces them to adapt to the weather. The fluctuation of climates also affect Sami's reindeer, which is their main cattle. During winter, hard layers of ice cover vegetation, which prevents the reindeer from eating and during the summer, insects and melting of permafrost become stress factors towards them. A traditional adaptation strategy is used by the Sami's to adapt to these situations. Their strategy involves migrating and moving with the reindeer to different pastures that they have established, allowing them to avoid causalities to their people and reindeer. Due to recent globalization, the Sami's strategy of migrating is being disrupted by "infrastructures, fences, and national borders" which limits them from moving to different regions that they used to go during certain climate changes.
Source: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/01/reindeer-herding-indigenous-people-and-climate-change/


Sami's herd of reindeer
Source:http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/washing-dishes-herding-reindeer/

Gender Issues of the Sami People

Within the Sami indigenous group, Sami women have been viewed as stay at home mothers who care for their children as well as their household, making that their only job. Sami women believe that they deserve equal power and the same value as their men in their group because they do more than just housework. Sami women are responsible for passing down their unique culture to their children which preserves the indigenous culture of their people. They also ensure the survival of their people by making clothing that can sustain against the harsh winter climates, and without their ability in crafting, the tribe would suffer significantly. In the 1970's, a Sami feminist movement started to show the importance of Sami woman as well as attempting to gain the same rights as their male counterparts.

Source: http://www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/dieda/hist/women.htm

Traditional Saami Women

Source: http://www.arcticphoto.co.uk/supergal/rko/rko00/rko0004-29.htm

How Techonology is Affecting the Sami

Over several decades “the Samis have had a pragmatic view of new technology.” Some of the members of the Sami tribe use telephones, mail services, and fax. Over the last few decades reindeer herders have been using “snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and cell phones” as tools to help their herding. Computers are mostly used for bookkeeping so most natives don’t have computers in their homes. Technology is used in education for websites and e-mail in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Overall, technology is not affecting the Sami in a bad way. It is being used to their advantage in some aspects of their lives, but is not forcing them to change the way they live everyday life. Technology is not harming their existence, it is only helping them live more productive lives.

Source: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/use-internet-communication-among-sami-people

This is an image of people in the Sami tribe in Sweden.

Source: http://boreale.konto.itv.se/samieng.htm

Geographic Location

The location of the Sami is the “northern portions of Scandinavia, Finland, and eastward over the Russia Kola Peninsula.” These countries include Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. The Sami refer to their land as Sapmi.

Source: http://www.samenland.nl/lap_sami_si.html

 

Source: http://www.sacredland.org/lands-of-the-sami/

 

Name

According to the locals, the name of our tribe is Sambe. By some they are referred to as the Lapp, but that is slowly being changed because it is not a native term. In Swedish or Norwegian the tribe name would be Same, and in Finnish the name would be Saamelainen. According to foreigners the name of our tribe it Sami because it is the English translation of Sambe.

Source: http://www.samenland.nl/lap_sami_si.html

 

This is an image of people in the Sami tribe in Norway.

Source: http://boreale.konto.itv.se/samieng.htm

 

Values

• We value the maximization of benefits to indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations in the world.
• We value the respect for persons all over the world.
• We value the equal treatment of people, and we are against the exploitation of vulnerable groups around the world.
• We value collaborative cross-cultural learning and critical thinking. 

Vision

The iCross-Cultural Citizen Project’s vision is to create an online cross-cultural space for students, professionals, and youth to learn and exchange cross-culturally sensitive information about contemporary indigenous experiences. From that outsider student’s perspective, we will try to theoretically explore possible collaborative solutions to problems that affect the indigenous populations of our planet. Finally, we hope for the future creation of a space where indigenous youth can share their experiences and their realities with us for real mutual collaboration to take place. 

Mission

The iCross-Cultural Citizen Project is a cultural anthropology course-based project meant to raise critical consciousness about the rich cultural diversity in our indigenous world (in our planet). Being totally aware of the limitations of being outsiders, we are a group of multidisciplinary undergraduate students who believe in cross-cultural sensitivity and participatory agency aimed at disseminating information about indigenous realities as accurately as possible.