In the whole of Lapland there are 30,000-32,000 Sami (Lapps), some 20,000 of them in Norway and 8,500 in Sweden. They call themselves Sabmek (singular Sameh), the "bog people". Their origins are obscure; they are short in stature, round-headed and broad-faced, with yellowish skin and dark hair. Their language is related to Finnish. Although Christian missions to the Sami began in the 17th century they have preserved certain pagan practices. Three broad groups of Sami are distinguished: the nomadic Mountain Sami, now steadily declining in numbers, who move between the forest and mountain regions with their herds of reindeer in regular migrations; the Forest Sami, who live a settled life with their herds in particular areas; and the Lake or
Fishing Sami, who live by fishing.
Costume
The characteristic Sami costume, which differs little between men and women, consists of a knee-length skirt of blue or brown material, with red and yellow trimming, and close-fitting trousers, with a cap of the same material (which in Norway has four stiffened points and in Sweden is tall and topped with a red ball of wool). The shoes are of soft reindeer-skin, with turned-up toes (gabmagak; skalkomager, skin boots). The winter garment is of reindeer skin. The local costumes and articles of carved reindeer horn are now also made for the tourist trade.
Houses, transport
The normal Sami dwelling is a small timber or earth hut (gammen; Sami darfe goattek). The nomadic Sami have canvas tents (Finnish kota), with an opening at the top to let the smoke out. The pulka or akja, a boat-shaped sleigh hauled by a reindeer on a single trace, is now rarely used; in recent years the motor sleigh (snowmobile) has become the principal means of transport.
Reindeer
The main property of the Sami is their reindeer (Norwegian and Swedish ren, Finnish poro), a species of deer accustomed to cold conditions in which both sexes have antlers. There are estimated to be something like 750,000 reindeer in Lapland. A Sami requires at least 100-200 head for subsistence, but rarely possesses more than 500. With 800 he is a rich man. Herds of several thousand are sometimes found, but these belong to nomadic families traveling together. The hooves of a herd of reindeer make a characteristic clicking sound as they move about on the hard ground. Since the vegetation takes many years to recover after being cropped by reindeer, the herds require very large areas for grazing. The Chernobyl disaster of 1986 did grave damage to the grazing grounds. In addition to their reindeer many Sami have other livestock and may grow certain crops.
Political and cultural autonomy
During the 1980s the Sami in the Scandinavian countries gained extensive political rights as a minority community. In Norway and Sweden they have their own autonomous parliament, the Sameting; there are radio and television programs in the Sami language, and many schools offer tuition in Sami as well as in the national language. On the other hand it is the case that many Sami are unable to live by the traditional economy and to follow their traditional way of life.
Hobbies & Activities category: Observe ethnic peoples, folk customs
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