The upcoming February 6th is Sámi National Day, and the UBC Scandinavian and Nordic Cultural Association will be hosting a discussion with guests who identify as Sámi to talk about Sámi histories, and their challenges throughout the past century. We wish to raise awareness and protect the endangered culture, and we hope you will join us in this effort.
The Sámi are the indigenous people of the north of Norway, Sweden, Finland, as well as the Kola Peninsula in Russia, and their land is collectively called Sápmi. They’re ancient peoples with distinct languages, dress, faith, and culture who have for centuries been the subject of forced assimilation, forced resettlement, and other methods of attempted subjugation at the hands of the governments of the countries listed above. Historically, many Sámi are semi-nomadic reindeer herders, but different groups made do with their different geographical locations – some were known as mountain Sámi, others as fishing Sámi, etc. With the birth of racial biology in Sweden in the 1800s, further racial discrimination and human rights violations were committed against the Sámi.
Register here via Zoom for this free virtual event: https://forms.gle/SAaTfDvoPs1G5ceLA
