Who are the Sami?
The Sami peoples of northern Scandinavia used to be called Lapplanders. However, this name has now fallen out of fashion, with the Sami claiming that the word ‘Lapp’ really means ‘outcast’. However, I suspect it really has more to do with all those jokes about the Sami being the inventors of the Lapptop computer. Whatever the case, Sami (or Saapmi) communities are currently staging a strong revival in Norway, and indeed throughout Scandinavia. A culture that once seemed doomed is now not just surviving but positively thriving. The manifestations of Sami revival can widely be seen, from the Sami-language signage at the University of Tromsø (the ‘capital’ of northern Norway) to the colourful costumes still worn in everyday life. In February 2006, the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat revealed the results of new archaeological research, showing that the main group of Sami migrated to Lappland from Central Russia around 8100BC – much earlier than had previously been believed. Accordingly
