#saami

[smsomah]

Lapland, Sweden. Anna Riwkin (1908-1970)

[thenuclearmallard]

The Sámi are being arrested for protesting.

[yokyopeli]

Saamelaisten kansallispäivä on

pohjoissaameksi Sámi álbmotbeaivi, 

inarinsaameksi Säämi aalmugpeivi ja 

koltansaameksi Säʹmmlai meersažpeiʹvv

Hyvää saamelaisten kansallispäivää!

Happy National Saami Day!

[useless-catalanfacts]

Sweden saying they'll vote against allowing the use of Catalan, Basque and Galician in the European Union Parliament because "there's lots of minority languages and we can't allow them all" is so funny because CATALAN HAS MORE SPEAKERS THAN SWEDISH

Catalan is the 13th most spoken language in the EU. It has more than 10 million speakers, which means it has more speakers than other languages that are already official EU languages like Maltese (530,000), Estonian (1.2 million), Latvian (1.5 million), Irish (1.6 million), Slovene (2.5 million), Lithuanian (3 million), Slovak (5 million), Finnish (5.8 million), Danish (6 million), Swedish (10 million), and Bulgarian (10 million).

Neither Galician (3 million) nor Basque (750,000) would still be the least spoken languages to be allowed in the EU representative bodies.

But even if any of them did, so what? Why do speakers of smaller languages deserve less rights than those of bigger languages? How are we supposed to feel represented by the EU Parliament when our representatives aren't even allowed to speak our language, but the dominant groups can speak theirs?

It all comes down to the hatred of language/cultural diversity and the belief that it's an inconvenience, that only the languages of independent countries have any kind of value while the rest should be killed off. After all, isn't that what Sweden has been trying to do to the indigenous Sami people for centuries?

[allyouneediswall]

[talesfromthenewsroom]

The Sámi (also Sami or Saami) are the indigenous people of the Sámpi region, now modern-day Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.

The Sámi people are most known as semi-nomadic reindeer herders, with around 2,800 Sámi people working as full-time herders in Norway. Reindeer herding is legally reserved only for Sámi people in some parts of Nordic countries.

The Sámi people speak the Sámi languages, which belong to the Uralic language group. There are ten or more Sámi languages, with spellings of the grouping varying as Sámi, Sami, Saami, Saame, Sámic, Samic and Saamic. The most widely spoken of these languages is Northern Sámi with 26,000 speakers. Others include Akkala (dead), Inari (400), Kemi (dead), Kainuu (dead), Skolt (320), Penninsular (600), Ter (2), Lule (1,000 to 2,000), Pite (20), Southern (600), Ume (20) and Gälve (dead).

Masculine: Bánccu (small), Biđe (stone, rock), Diijá (manly), Esájas (Yahweh is salvation), Erke (eternal ruler), Gáhppá (fighter of God), Leammu (merciful, gentle), Leaifa (heir), Máđen (gift of God), Mielat (mind), Mohkku (unknown), Pavva (small), Valljáš (abundance, corn), Veaiku (brother)

Feminine: Áidná (only one), Áile (holy), Aire (holy), Elbmá (nourishing), Biijá (pious), Čuvje (light), Duiri (unknown), Njáveš (mythology), Gáhte (cheerful), Aagni (chaste), Krihke (Christian), Låttså (free man), Venlá (wind), Sööfe (wisdom, art), Sáibma (one who is fasting)

Gender-neutral: Edel (noble), Álfa (supernatural being), Áilu (holy), Laara (laurel), Heike (home ruler), Lenne/Linne (soft, delicate), Niikka (victory), Sakka (beautiful victory), Sive (wife, bride), Bigge (high, mighty, exalted)

Surnames: Áikio, Jælker, Boine, Niska, Schal, Krysti, Uhcci, Wärnach, Vinkel, Hassi, Biera, Hætta, Jomppanen, Somby, Ravna, Sunna, Eira, Niittylä, Kvitfjell

Plenty of Sámi names are Finnish or Scandinavian names adapted into the Sámi language. Some aren't Sámi at all! A lot of this has to do with forced conversions in Norway, where families were not allowed to baptize children with a Sámi name. And baptism was required because conversion to Christianity was required.

In Sámi tradition, someone's name could include generations of family names. It wasn't strictly patronymic, and people would usually use whichever parent was most know to people.

Here's an example: Say someone introduces themself as Čuvje Aagni Heike. Čuvje is her grandmother, Aagni is her mother, and she is Heike.

Another way to identify yourself in Sámi culture would be with a descriptor. This isn't a Sámi specific thing. It's used in plenty of cultures and stories -- think Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He's Duncan, and he's tall.

If someone has a common name, such as Lásse, they may use a descriptor to be more specific. Say Lásse is a writer. He could identify himself as Čálli-Lásse (literally writer-Lásse). Place names can also be used as a descriptor. Inari-Laara could be used to describe Laara who lives in Inari, Finland.

Additionally, and something that used most often in the modern era, someone could use a first name and a surname, such as Duiri Ravna.

Once again to clarify: I am not Sámi. There may be cultural nuances that I miss, or information I get wrong. Do not use me as a source. This is just to give people character name ideas!

I highly recommend you refer to Sámi sources for better, more in-depth information. This is simply for names. Don't take anything I say as gospel. I'll link some resources below for those curious. Additionally, if you know any resources that you think I should add, let me know.

If you're creating a Sámi character and you're not Sámi, please do your research into them and their culture and consider why you are making a Sámi OC.

Somás beaivi!

Sources: Beneath Northern Lights, My Heritage Wiki, Nordic Names, Wikipedia, Behind the Name

Resources: IWGIA, UNRIC, Arctic Council, UMich Research Library, NDLA (this website is in Norwegian, but translation options are available -- at least on Google)

[tsichampi]

saami babi

this film is a lighting masterpiece and motivated me to try

couldn't resist making her in tomodachi life

[femmeboggart]

saami girl and pomor girl in national clothes

they're girlfriends 🥰