The Sami People And Culture

The Sami people, being so diverse and widespread, stretch across many different cultural backdrops, making pinning down the context within which they dwell complicated at best. Their nomadic lifestyle makes this even more of a challenge. Furthermore, their preference of extreme climates and wilderness settings questions the existence of any social context at all, other than the reindeer they herd. In fact, until the liberalization instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980’s, the Russian Sami had almost no contact with those in other areas. However, The new century has introduced the Sami people to the idea that being separate from other cultures does not stop them from reaching you, along with the industrialization and modern lifestyles that accompany them. As previously mentioned, the Sami people can be found in tribes across Sweden (14,600), Finland (9,350), Norway (37,890), and Russia (1,991), and even in the United States (30,000), including actress Renee Zellwegger. The largest concentration, however, is in a region known as …show more content…
Sweden has a population of 9,716, 962. Unlike the Sami, the swedes began their religious history as Norse pagans, until such worship was made illegal in the 11th century. The Swedes still celebrate this forgotten religion in annual festivals. Today, they follow the Lutheran Church of Sweden, though on a lesser scale than their neighbors in Norway. They too have a constitutional monarchy, however their monarch has a more ceremonial role in the doings of the state, much like Great Britain. Sweden’s economy is also export oriented, however they are richer in timber, iron ore, and hydropower. Swedish music is significant for its choral history, leading back to religious folk music of the Norse. Sweden is also remembered for its contribution to architecture, boasting many beautiful towering