"I recently met people on the other side of the world who use beads, tepees - they call them lavvus - and sacred drums.
And they're not “wannabes” - pretending to be indigenous people of North America.
These reindeer hunters and salmon fishers - many of whom were sent to boarding schools - manage their cultural and community affairs within an elected political system. They are intent on preserving their language, land and customs.
The Sami are indigenous people, and they inhabit the coastal and inland areas of the Arctic regions of Norway, Finland, Russia and Sweden.
“As white indigenous people, we can choose to disappear,” said Egel Olli, president of the Sami Parliament in Karasjok, the elected assembly of the Sami in Norway.
But 30,000 to 50,000 people in Norway have chosen to maintain the lifestyle of their Sami ancestors who inhabited the polar regions of Europe for more than 10,000 years."
Get the Story:Jodi Rave: Indigenous Sami embrace their heritage (The Missoulian 10/21) Relevant Links:
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