When I first moved to Umeå, Sweden, I knew almost nothing about indigenous cultures outside of the United States. Growing up, I'd learned about Native American tribes in school, but I didn't know much about indigenous groups outside of the US. Upon arriving at Umeå University and working with the Arctic Centre on projects to encourage technology, I learned about the Sámi people of northern Europe. The Sámi are indigenous people inhabiting the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. What I discovered was a rich cultural heritage that shapes everything about life in northern Sweden today.
History
Archaeologists believe the Sámi have lived in northern Scandinavia for at least 5,000 years. They were nomadic people who followed the reindeer herds, moving with the seasons. The reindeer provided them with food, clothing, tools and transportation. In the 1300s, Swedish settlers began moving north into Sámi lands. The Swedish kingdom wanted the natural resources there, like furs, fish and minerals.
From the 1600s to the 1900s, the Sámi faced many challenges.
