History
The Sami are one of the world’s indigenous peoples, and the Sami of Norway have status as a national minority.
Norway is a very long country from north to south and there are marked cultural differences between Sami groups in different parts of the country.
The South Sami have lived in the region from the Saltfjellet mountains in the north to Engerdalen in the south. Their traditions are the same on both sides of the Swedish-Norwegian border.
The reindeer
Many of the Sami families living in the Røros area still depend on reindeer for their livelihood and have a lifestyle that is closely bound to nature.
Their reindeer graze in the mountain highlands and range over a large area. Owners are responsible for keeping track of their herds on a daily basis. When summer comes, families move to cabins in the northern part of their herding district.
In the wintertime the families live in houses in communities in the Røros region.
Religion
The ancient religion of the Sami was based on nature and powers in nature.
There were many gods and each had a particular area of responsibility. Among the nature-gods were the sun, thunder, the wind-man and the moon. Mother Earth was the source of life.
Certain animals, such as the bear and reindeer, had special significance. Powers in nature were considered as living entities with souls; boulders, mountains and lakes were alive. The Sami believed that these could come to mankind’s assistance if one prayed and sacrificed to them.
The shaman, a priest with supernatural powers, used his drum to communicate with the gods and receive their counsel and aid.
Duedtie/ Duodji
Traditional Sami handicrafts, called duodji or duedtie, are decorative and useful articles made of wood, horn, leather and wool.
Clothing has traditionally been made of leather. Today, wool and other kinds of cloth are also used and often embroidered with beads and/or metal thread made of stretched tin wire.
Language and joik
The Sami language belongs to the Finno-Ugric family, as do Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian. It has a complex grammar and a rich vocabulary, especially for describing nature, hunting, trapping and work with reindeer. Seven different Sami dialects are spoken in Norway. Many similarities may be seen from east to west across national borders, but there is a great difference between the language of Sami people living in the far north and that of the South Sami of Røros.
The traditional Sami way of singing, joiking, has been passed on from generation to generation. A yoik, or joik, is usually very personal and expresses the very nature of a particular person or entity.