Sámi

The **Sámi** (also spelled as **Saami** or **Sami**) are an ethnic group of people. Their homeland is Sápmi, which is in far northern Europe: Norway, Sweden, Finland and west Russia. There are from 80,000 to 135,000 Sami people in the world. The Sami are sometimes called Lapps, but this is insulting and has a negative meaning. In English the area is sometimes still called Lapland.

There are 10 different Sámi languages. Six of the languages can be written. The other four have very few speakers. 

"Archaeological research indicates that a culture identified as Sami arose in the Scandinavian peninsula between 1500 and 1000 B.C."==

One description from 896 was told to Alfred the Great by Ohthere of Hålogaland, who was a Norwegian chieftain.

Old Norse stories, such as the Icelandic sagas, talk about the Sami. "Olav Tryggvason's Saga says "that the king killed a big man who was "troll-wise" and "there followed him a great number of Finns whenever he had need of them".

In regard to Sámi (in Norway) that had reindeer herds; when these Sami moved their herds (every year), then they would interact with people who lived permanently on the coast; the interaction also included *verdde*: a friendship of convenience; for example, Sami needed milk and fish after having been on a plateau (or highland) for some weeks; Sami might need repair of equipment; trade was done: People from the coast traded fish for meat from reindeer.

Regarding getting the Sámi to change their religion to Christianity: In the 18th century Thomas von Westen (no), a pietist, led missionary work (among the Sami), that has been called a  concerted

#### Policies to "Norwegianize" the Sámi
"There were organized attempts to eradicate [or make to disappear ] the Sámi language and culture[,] as a step in assimilating the Sámi into Norwegian society". Policies to "Norwegianize", Samis - were in place from the late 1840s,
into the 1980s. An article in Klassekampen said that the policy was very rough [to Sami persons]. (Polmak is now part of Tana (municipality).)

### Sweden
The first Sami association in Sweden, seems to have been started in 1903: *Tärnaby lappeforening*.

### Russia
In 1826, Russia has not allowed reindeer herds and their Sami owners, to travel from Norway to Russia.

Since 1852, Russia has not allowed reindeer herds and their Sami owners, to travel from Norway to Russia

## Reindeer farming 
Reindeer farming,

There is some practice of bear worship. It is a polytheistic religion with many gods. The Sami shaman are called the 'Noadi'. There are some 'wise men' and 'wise women' who try to heal people who are sick. They use rituals and herbal medicine. Some Sami people have changed their beliefs to Christianity and joined either the Russian Orthodox Church or the Lutheran.

## In popular culture
Publications by Snorri Sturluson (1178-1241) say that a Sami woman, Snøfrid, married Harald Fairhair. It also said that none of her children or grandchildren became kings; first when Harald Hardrada became a king, then her blood became part of the blood of the royal family.

The character Kristoff in the 2013 Disney film *Frozen* is Sámi. The song that plays in the movie's first scene, *Frozen Heart*, was written by the South Sámi composer Frode Fjellheim. It is in a traditional Sámi style called Vuelie. Some people said that Kristoff was not a good way to show Sami because he is light-skinned and blond.  This is called whitewashing.  Although some Sami look like Kristoff, most have darker skin and hair.  When making the 2019 sequel, *Frozen II*, Disney signed a contract with Sámi leaders and hired Sami experts to make sure the culture would be shown respectfully.

## Related pages 
* Nomads
* Fosen conflict
* Sami people in Norway

## References
## Other websites
*A recent genetic link between Sami and the Volga-Ural region of Russia.  20 September 2006