A summary can be found at the bottom of this post!
Sami National Day - 6th of February
TW: violence, death, discrimination, abuse
Sami History
The Sami are the Indigenous people in northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, in the area known as Sápmi. Sami people in different regions speak different languages in addition to the country's dominant languages. Sami culture varies, but is historically closely tied to reindeer herding and fishing. Due to the forced assimilation being most aggressive by the coast, the sami tradition of fishing has all but disappeared. Sami culture is diverse, with multiple languages and traditional practice is very rich and old. Sami had a nomadic lifestyle and they practiced reindeer herding, foraging & hunting, fishing and fur trapping. Today many Sami also live in the cities while others still practice reindeer herding.
The Sami National Day is held on the 6th of February because the first Sami Congress was held on 6th of February 1917 in Trondheim, Norway, where the Norwegian and Swedish Sami came together across national borders to discuss and work on solutions to common problems. One of the important topics was the demand for Sami school where children are taught to write and speak in Sami language.
Discrimination Experienced by Sami
Sami have experienced settler colonialism, discrimination, racism, abuse and bigotry for centuries by the countries dominant cultures where they live. Sami culture has been repressed and systematically destroyed. Children have been taken from their homes to boarding schools away from their family, relatives and culture. These traumatic events have resulted in generational trauma and Sami people still lack recognition and compensation for their suffering. In many boarding schools the education was lacking and teachers were physically abusive towards students.
Entire generations of Sami have lost their identity, language, religion, heritage, traditional skills and livelihood thanks to the systematic oppression practiced by the dominant cultures. Sami people have been murdered for centuries for their practices and beliefs. Their sacred items have been stolen and transported to foreign countries where they remain to this day in museums despite continuous efforts to bring them back home. In Finland, the death fence murders still haven't been investigated. Often, the law officers turned a blind eye when Sami were victims of a crime committed by a person belonging to the dominant culture. Other forms of discrimination are wearing the traditional Sami clothes by non-Sami people. This is cultural appropriation and is very disrespectful.
The discrimination of Sami people continues to this day. There are still bigoted governments and laws in action today. UN Human Rights Committee has found Finland violating the political rights of Sami people. Sami people’s rights remain unrecognized.
In Norway there is an ongoing legal battle, between the Norwegian state and the Sami people in and around Fosen. The Norwegian government has illegally established a windmill park in areas that are of great importance to reindeer herding. The Norwegian supreme court has ruled in the Sami's favor, but this has been continuously ignored by the Norwegian government.
Joik
Sami culture has many unique forms of expression. Joik being the most well known. It is one of the oldest song traditions in Europe, and is based in the sami oral tradition. A joik can be dedicated to a person, an animal or a place.The gákti is a living tradition, and the traditional Sami clothing. It is often worn for celebrations and parties. There are great varieties in pattern and design depending on which area of Sápmi you are from and for some, also personal style, as some samis adjust their gakti to follow fluctiations in fashion.With the gákti you will often find samis use a fringed shawl, komager or kero
The sami tradition of crafting is called Duoddji and hold traditions of craftmanship related to creating gákti, tin emoroidery, wood carving, weaving shoelaces, pearl embroidery, jacket seams and knife making.
GoCodes
For the Sami national day, the goCode can be retrieved by contacting either Aeneid or Air. It contains the Gakti, and a shawl, and is therefore only meant for users of samí descent.
For non-sami users you can retrieve the goCode Lihkku Beivviin.
More information:
Some important points taken from THIS topic on gSm
- Sami were compelled to change their names and faced punishment for speaking their native languages.
- Sami women endured forced sterilization, a practice that persisted until as late as 1970
- Scientists robbed Sami graves to measure their skulls (race biology - they wanted to prove their inferiority)
- Sami were put in human zoos
Reading list:
Sweden's indigenous Sami community complain of human rights abuses
Sami without education: A 20 year struggle
Statuksettomat saamelaiset (English: page 11)
The Sámi National Day (By Bratzzzz on gSm?
Tällainen on vaiettu kuolemanaita, jonka takana poronhoitajille kävi huonosti – historiankirjat eivät tapauksesta kerro(in Finnish only)
Summary:
- February 6th marks the Sami National Day, celebrating the first Sami Congress, held in Trondheim in 1917
- Sami people have been discriminated against and had a lot of their traditions wiped out by the Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish and Russian governments for decades
- The Sami traditional garb is the Gakti, that comes in different patterned varieties depending on region, no two areas have the same pattern.
- Sami people and tradition are still under threat due to government practices and disregard for the value of Sami culture.
Lihkku Beivviin! Læhkoeh biejjine! Vuorbbe biejvijn!
Inclusivity Group
