Meet the Sámi - Finland's indigenous people

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meet the Sámi – Finland’s indigenous people

Meet the Sámi - Finland's indigenous people

Leave the clock behind and explore the vast expanses of the breathtaking Sámi homeland in Finnish Lapland, join in the festivals and activities of the locals, and get to know their way of life. We introduce you to just a few “Sámi things” you can experience over the course of a year.

The Sámi areas in Northern Lapland offer many year round outdoor and indoor activities, and close contact with the unique culture of the Sámi – the only indigenous people of the European Union. The Sámi live in the Northern parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as in parts of North-Eastern Russia. In Finland, the Sámi population is approximately 10 500 strong, and the preservation of their endangered language and culture is governed by an autonomous Sámi parliament in Inari, Finland.

At the end of January, you can celebrate the end of the polar night by going to the Skábmagovat, the Indigenous Peoples’ Film Festival in Inari. On February 6, you may join the Sámi for their National Day celebrations. In August, you could visit the Music Festival of Indigenous Peoples, Ijahis idja (Nightless Night) or the St. Triphon of Petsamo procession of the orthodox Skolt-Sámi through four villages. See some more year-round tips for visiting and details of Sámi culture below.

Lapland

In Lapland, swapping the hustle and bustle of ski resorts and cities to the peace and quiet of the wilderness takes mere minutes.

Lapland

colourful culture

The Sámi possess a rich cultural heritage and are known for their close connection to the land they live on. Inari, Enontekiö and Utsjoki are some of the best places to explore the colourful Sámi culture of today.

inari – the heart of sámi homeland

A visit to the village of Inari, the heart of the Sámi homeland, and to Siida, the museum of the Finnish Sámi, is an absolute must. At Siida – an internationally acclaimed indoor and outdoor museum – you can acquaint yourself with changing exhibitions on culture, art and nature throughout the year.

Siida’s enticing gift shop and the village’s many other craft shops offer plenty of interesting design products made of natural materials as well as local food and delicacies.

unique architecture and design

The architecturally unique Sajos is the new culture centre of the Sámi in Inari village. Guided tours and workshops – like making Sámi handicraft – can be booked in advance. Solju, the Parliament Hall, is a conference room furnished to the highest standards. The hall is the venue for the general assembly of the Sámi Parliament and for meetings of the Board, but may also be hired as for conferences. The hall name Solju is North Sámi and means risku, a traditional item of Sámi jewellery.

Here you can see the amazing centre bathing in the Northern Lights.

spring – time for sámi holidays

Spring is the season for many Sámi markets, concerts, and dances, as the Sámi also celebrate their most important holidays: Annunciation and Easter.

In March and April, you could try ice-fishing or visit reindeer races all over Northern Lapland. Don’t miss the last and largest race in Inari where the champion is crowned and reindeer herders from all over Lapland gather. The races usually end with a dance of the herders at the legendary Kultahovi Hotel.

In April, the traditional Ski Race, the most northern ski-marathon in the world, is held on the tracks of an ancient mail delivery path from the village of Hetta in Finland to Kautokeino in Norway.

reindeer herding – central part of the sami culture

Reindeer herding is a central part of the Sámi culture. Get to know these semi-domesticated animals at reindeer farms, in the wild, or at reindeer races.

The traditional Sámi livelihoods are fishing, gathering, handicrafts, hunting and reindeer herding and the modern ways of practising them. Out of the traditional Sámi livelihoods, reindeer herding still functions as one of the important cornerstones of the Sámi culture by offering both language arena as well as material for, among others, clothing, other Sámi handicrafts and food culture. Ever since the development of reindeer herding, reindeer has been an important form of transportation. Today, the tourists can experience the traditional form of transportation in the form of reindeer sleigh rides in winter time.

According to the law, one is not allowed to disturb or frighten the reindeer in any way. Freely grazing reindeer in nature are semi-wild animals. Hence, please do not approach and, at the same time, startle the animal, for example, by trying to photograph it.

the golden berries of lapland

Picking berries from the wild is also central of the Sámi culture. Anyone can use the Right of Access (also known as “Everyman’s Rights”) in Finland and pick berries and mushrooms. However, remember that even in the wilderness you are often on someone’s private land and be respectful of that: only pick so much that you are able to eat, do not go close to anyone’s property and be careful not to scare wild animals.

Sámi food – fresh and local

Sámi food is always fresh and local, such as reindeer, fish, berries, game, and wild birds. Try creamy salmon soup, smoked or dried reindeer meat, sautéed reindeer with Lappish potatoes and lingonberries, fried arctic char or salmon or Lappish bread and cheese with cloudberry jam. All delicious!

sámi jewelry

This Sámi piece of jewelry is known as risku (in Finnish) or solju (in North Sámi). It is the symbol of the sun, decorated with tiny silver or golden round and/or oval shaped plates called laukkanen in Finnish. It is worn on the traditional Sámi dress to keep the scarf in place. The use of riskus plays an important role in Sámi wedding traditions.

…and sámi shoes

Furry shoes or nutukkaat made out of reindeer skin will keep your feet warm even in extremely cold weather. They are traditional Sámi winter shoes and they are still used today.

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meet the Sámi – Finland’s indigenous people