Native People of Norway

Currently, the Sami, also referred to as laplanders, the Finn, the Sámit, and Sápmelaš. While most lump them together as “the Sami” there are several different and very distinct groups of Sami, including Umesami, PiteSami, LuleSami, Enare Sami, Kildin Sami, and the TerSami, each in their own distinct region of Scandinavia. Within these different groups, there are several linguistic groups. Each language is now considered unique to its tribe, and is no longer considered a dialect, since the Sami from the north couldn't understand the Sami from the south. This presents an interesting juxtaposition to the rest of Scandinavia, where even across borders, other languages (Swedish and Norwegian, for instance) can be understood with varying degrees of difficulty and ease.

They originally were a nomadic people, fishing and hunting to suit lifestyles as needed, and in approximately 1500 AD, they started herding reindeer. Only a small number of them herded reindeer, but that image has become the stereotype of all Sami.

Perhaps one of the most noted abilities of the Sami (much like Minnesotans) is the fact that they tolerated the extreme cold of the far north. Since immigrants and settlers stayed in the warmer south, this allowed the Sami to avoid outside cultural influence. Through the late 1600's, the influence of culture was tipped in favor of the Sami because of their strong influence in the north, far away from settlers and such.