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Saami – the only indigenous people in the European Union

The Saami are Europe’s only indigenous people, and their traditional homeland, Sápmi, extends across the northern parts of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, as well as the Kola Peninsula in Russia. In Finland, the Saami homeland includes the municipalities of Enontekiö, Inari, and Utsjoki, as well as the Lapin paliskunta area in northern part of Sodankylä municipality. The Saami have their own language, culture, and livelihoods. Three Saami languages are spoken in Finland: Northern Saami, which is the most widely spoken, Inari Saami, and Skolt Saami. Of these languages Inari Saami is spoken only in Finland.

The Saami have cultural self-governance in their homeland.

In Finland, there are approximately 11,000 people listed in the electoral register of the Saami Parliament, including their minor children. The majority of Saami live outside the Saami homeland. The Saami have cultural autonomy in their homeland area, which is administered by the Saami representative body, the Saami Parliament. (974/1995). In the Skolt area in the eastern part of Inari municipality, the Skolt village meeting and Skolt councils promote the livelihoods and status of the Skolt Saami as stipulated in the Skolt Act (253/1995).

Saami traditional livelihoods

Reindeer herding, fishing, hunting and gathering, as well as handicrafts (duodji) are traditional Saami livelihoods. The governing unit for the traditional livelihood is called siida. Siidas reduce and help avoid conflicts and competition over the use of areas and resources. A siida is a kinship-based social structure for the use and distribution of enjoyment areas and resources. In Saami culture, the concept of kinship is very broad, including second and third cousins as well as more distant relatives. A siida usually consists of several ponttis, which are family units living in the same household. Pontti (bondde) is an old concept dating back to the time when the Saami lived year-round in a goahti. The Saami have had siidas for reindeer herding, fishing, and hunting.

Reindeer herding

Reindeer herding is a main livelihood for many Saami, providing not only sustenance but also cultural and social cohesion. In Finland, reindeer herding is governed by the Reindeer Husbandry Act and regulations (848/1990 and 883/1994). Every reindeer owner must belong to a reindeer herding cooperative, which is responsible for organizing reindeer herding in its area. There are 13 reindeer herding cooperatives in the Saami homeland. The practice of reindeer herding varies among different cooperatives, but Saami reindeer herding has common features that form the Saami reindeer herding tradition. These common features include Saami identity and cultural heritage, the siida system, the reindeer marking system based on the mearkaoalli system, specific terminology related to the livelihood in the Saami language, cultural perception and recognition of the environment, pasture rotation, relationship with the environment, and skills related to reindeer herding and environmental management.

Fishing

In the Saami homeland, fishing is governed by the Fishing Act (379/2015). Additionally, there are international treaties concerning fishing in border areas. The Fishing Act includes provisions related to the participation rights of the Saami Parliament and the Saami Language Act, but it does not contain specific provisions on Saami fishing traditions. Fishing is a common tradition among all Saami, and they have formed siidas for fishing purposes. Before border closures, Finnish Saami traditionally utilized marine areas for fishing and moved to the coast for sea fishing during the summer. Nowadays, Saami fishing culture in Finland is limited to river and lake fishing.

There is only little research on the impact of climate change on Saami fishing heritage. Saami fishing traditions include their own Saami-language terminology, knowledge of conditions related to fish behavior, movement, and fish stocks, as well as their own fishing methods and equipment. Each family has their own fishing spots. The fisherman’s year follows the movements and spawning times of fish, water temperature, ice conditions, and the natural cycle.

Hunting

The significance of hunting as a livelihood for the Saami has decreased due to the development of other livelihoods and changes in the economic structure. The Saami have hunted a variety of species for food, ranging from birds to large game. Hunting has also provided raw materials for handicrafts. Today, the most important game animals are moose and ptarmigan, which both are hunted for food. Moose hides and leather are not commonly used in handicrafts. Handicrafts have more often utilized materials from wolves, wolverines, foxes, beavers, small mammals, and various birds, such as loons.

Knowledge related to hunting, including information about the game species, their habitats, hunting methods, and processing, has been lost due to changes in the economic structure and protection regulations. As the populations of ptarmigan and other forest grouse have declined elsewhere in Finland due to climate change, and as climate change is also expected to threaten southern moose populations, hunting pressure on these species may shift to the Saami homeland. For ptarmigan, the increased hunting pressure is already causing disturbances to reindeer herding and rutting, as hunting takes place in areas significant for reindeer herding. Conflicts between tourism hunting and reindeer herding may increase in the future, as dogs used in hunting can scatter reindeer herds and cause disturbances to reindeer herding.

Handicrafts (Duodji)

Saami handicrafts, duodji, alongside reindeer herding, are another traditional Saami livelihood that is economically viable. Saami handicrafts are an important part of the everyday life and social practices of the Saami community. The Saami Duodji association, which represents Saami artisans, has around 300 members, and those wishing to join must demonstrate their skill as Saami artisans. Members of the association have the right to use the Saami Duodji mark on their products, indicating that the product is an authentic Saami handicraft.

The Saami handicraft tradition utilizes a wide variety of natural raw materials. This tradition is part of a network of nature, people, and traditional livelihoods, all of which influence each other. The handicraft tradition involves not only the making and aesthetics of the crafts but also knowledge of natural conditions, growth sites, and the natural cycle, as well as the acquisition, processing, and proper preservation of raw materials. The impacts of climate change on handicrafts have not been studied, but they can be assessed through changes affecting other traditional livelihoods and the environment. The handicraft tradition is traditionally learned within the family and is divided into hard (garraduodji) and soft (dipmaduodji) handicrafts. The Saami handicraft tradition encompasses many cultural values and regional traditions. Traditional knowledge and skills are passed down from generation to generation through experience.

Gathering

Gathering is a part of daily life for almost every Saami living in the Saami homeland. Wild berries, especially cloudberries, are particularly important to the Saami, as berries are collected both for personal consumption and for sale. In addition to cloudberries, lingonberries, cranberries, crowberries, and bilberries are also gathered. Besides food, berries and woody plants are collected for plant dyeing. The Saami have traditionally had specific family areas for cloudberry picking, and these boundaries were respected. However, in the past decade, cloudberry yields have varied greatly by region, and berries have had to be collected from areas other than traditional family areas, even from neighboring municipalities. The melting of palsas in the north has reduced cloudberry yields, as palsas are important growth areas for cloudberries.
The Saami collect various plants for medicinal purposes, as well as for preservation, beauty care, and maintaining well-being. The Saami have learned from previous generations about the areas where these plants can be collected, the times when it is best to collect them, and the proper methods for preservation. In addition to plants, lichens and fungi are used as medicine. Mushrooms are not used medicinally, except for certain types of fungi, but poisonous mushrooms have been used in Saami shamanistic religion for healing and visionary purposes. The Saami use the natural products they collect as remedies for non-serious ailments, such as coughs, fevers, and pain. Plants used by the Saami include Angelica, Meadowsweet, Lapland sedge, Birch (in various parts), Juniper, Sweet flag, Lady’s mantle, Yarrow, Willow, Goldenrod, and Horsetail.

For the Saami, the use of plants is not just about medicine or treating ailments; it is connected to their relationship with nature, values, moving in nature, accumulating knowledge, and a sense of continuity with previous generations—many generations before the current one have collected the same plants from the same places. Gathering is about connecting with past generations and continuing traditions. The use of medicinal plants has decreased due to the moving away from the Saami homeland, the development of the pharmacy system, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Finland has ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (Treaty Series 46/2016), and it has been implemented in Finland through the so-called Genetic Resources Act (394/2016). This act addresses, among other things, the research and development use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as well as the fair sharing of benefits. According to the Genetic Resources Act, a database on traditional knowledge related to the genetic resources of the Sámi people will be established in Finland, managed by the Sámi Parliament. The database has not yet been established. Traditional knowledge related to the genetic resources of the Saami is endangered, just like the Saami cultural heritage.