Sami People of Norway

In the north, as you cross the border at Karigasniemi from Finland to Norway, a short distance away in Karasjok there is a Sami (Sapmi) Cultural Park. It presents the world of the Sami people. In the center of the park stands a camp showing traditional summer and winter dwellings. In the reindeer enclosure you can see live reindeer close up and learn about herding reindeer.

For centuries the Sami people have lived and hunted in the area called Nordkalotten – the Far North. In the 1500s many people started to herd reindeer, following their herds on their natural trek to the coast in spring and back to the plains in winter.

The Sami people are a minority group in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. More than half of the 90,000 Sami people live in Norway, with their own culture, own language and own history.

In the north, due to the harsh climate, it was important for Sami people to keep together, and families would generally join forces in units called ‘siida’ or camps.

The nomadic lifestyle of the Sami herders involved moving the siida from the winter pasture to the summer pasture. Those Sami people who lived in permanent dwelling along the coast and inland were the ‘verdde’ – friends – of the mountain Sami, and they traded both goods and services between them.

The Sami people lived in ‘gamme,’ ‘lavvu’ or ‘goahti’ – huts or tents. The gamme is a hut built of curved logs, with wall poles and a turf roof. Materials for a gamme include wood, birch bark, turf roof. Materials for a gamme include wood, birch bark, turf and stone. If a gamme is well looked after, it can last at least 60 years. A lavvu is a pointed tent with birch tent poles. The tent was covered with hides or woven woolen blankets. Today lighter and waterproof materials are preferred. A goahti is a tent with two curved poles leaving more room inside. Both the lavvu and the hoahti are easy to transport and simple to erect and dismantle, thus ideal when a short stay is planned.

Mythology; The Sami people lived at one with nature. Their faith and their lives were in the hands of the vagaries of nature, and their gods would reside in various natural formations seen in the landscape. ‘Noaidi’ – the Sami shaman – would be able to enter the spiritual world and was able to interpret the will of the gods. ‘Stalubakti’ – Spirit Rock – is a magical theatre offering tantalizing glimpses into the way the Sami people saw life prior to the arrival of Christianity.  

Handicrafts; Sami handicrafts reflect a life of hard work. All the artefacts will commonly have a practical function. Simple ornaments and vivid colors lend the artefact their special beauty. Virtually every part of a reindeer can be used for something; the hide is used for clothes and covers, sinews can be used for sewing, while horn and bone can be worked into useful tools. The traditional Sami knife is a simple but practical tool. Embroidery using tin wire is a Sami specialty, while the silver jewelry used for Sami national costumes originally was bartered from travelling salesman. Today these ornaments are made in the Sami shop, which aslo carries a rich selection of Sami handicraft, literature and gift articles.

Food; Reindeer meat is one of the staples of Sami cooking. Moreover, nature’s own larder offers many dishes of fish, game and berries. Sami cooking traditions have always included salted, dried and smoke-cured meat and fish.

Storgammen (the Big Gamme) is a unique place to eat while in Sami. Enjoy a tasty meal while seated on soft reindeer fur around the open fire, giving you a chance to reflect on all the special impressions you have had from your day at Sami.

More info at http://www.visitsapmi.no/