page_title: Sámi history
section_title: The early 20th century through World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Sámi history / The early 20th century through World War II
caption_attribution_description: Dato / Date: published ca. 1900-1904 Kunstner / Artist: Wilhelm Peters (1851-1935) Utgiver / Publisher: N. J. Digital kopi av original / Digital copy of original: trykt postkort, farge Eier / Owner Institution: Nasjonalbiblioteket / National Library of Norway Lenke / Link: www.nb.no Bildesignatur / Image Number: blds_08346 English: Image from "Postcards, Sami" , an album of 19 images uploaded to www.flickr.com by Nasjonalbiblioteket (National Library of Norway) in 2016. The image on Flickr is marked with "No known copyright restrictions». Norsk bokmål: Bilde fra «Postkort, samer», et album med i alt 19 bilder lastet opp på www.flickr.com av Nasjonalbiblioteket i 2016. Bildet på Flickr er merket med «No known copyright restrictions».
context_page_description: The Sámi people are an indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The traditional Sámi lifestyle, dominated by hunting, fishing and trading, was preserved until the Late Middle Ages, when the modern structures of the Nordic countries were established.
  The Sámi have co-existed with their neighbors for centuries, but for the last two hundred years, especially during the second half of the 20th century, there have been many dramatic changes in Sámi culture, politics, economics and their relations with their neighboring societies. During the late 20th century, conflicts broke out over the use of natural resources, the reaction to which created a reawakening and defense of Sámi culture in recent years. Of the eleven different historically attested Sámi languages, nine have survived to the present day but with most in danger of disappearing too.
  It is possible that the Sámi people's existence was documented by such writers as the Roman historian Tacitus. They have on uncertain grounds, but for a very long time, been associated with the Fenni.
context_section_description: In the 20th century, Norwegian authorities put the Sámi culture under pressure in order to make the Norwegian language and culture universal. A strong economical development of the north also took place, giving Norwegian culture and language status. On the Swedish and Finnish side, the authorities were much less militant in their efforts; however, strong economic development in the north led to a weakening of status and economy for the Sámi.
  The strongest pressure took place from around 1900 to 1940, when Norway invested considerable money and effort to wipe out Sámi culture. Notably, anyone who wanted to buy or lease state lands for agriculture in Finnmark, had to prove knowledge of the Norwegian language. This also ultimately caused the dislocation in the 1920s, that increased the gap between local Sámi groups, something still present today, and sometimes bears the character of an internal Sámi ethnic conflict.
  Just as every portion of the European continent, the circumpolar lands of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Soviet Union were not spared the wrath of World War II. For the Saami, who had no concept of national sovereignty, the concept of nations fighting over land was alien. Never less, the Saami would become entrapped in the conflict from all sides. Another factor was the heavy war destruction in northern Finland and northern Norway in 1944–45, destroying all existing houses and visible traces of Sámi culture. After World War II the pressure was relaxed somewhat.
caption: Sámi camp in Norway, c. 1900, painted by Wilhelm Peters
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