The Sámi and Northern Norway: language, culture and Arctic light

Who are the Sámi?

The Sámi are an Indigenous people who have traditionally lived in Sápmi, an area stretching across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Most Sámi live in Norway. There are several Sámi languages; North Sámi is the largest.

For a long time the state pursued a policy of Norwegianisation. Children were sent to boarding schools where they were not allowed to speak Sámi, and many families stopped using the language at home. This part of history is still painful for many, and in 2023 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented its report on it.

The Sámediggi, or Sámi Parliament, the elected Sámi body, opened in 1989 and is in Karasjok in Finnmark. Sámi now has official status in several municipalities, where you see signs in both Norwegian and Sámi – for example Kautokeino and Guovdageaidnu.

6 February, joik and reindeer herding

6 February is Sámi National Day. The date marks the first Sámi national assembly, held in Trondheim in 1917, and the day has been celebrated since 1993. The Sámi flag – red, green, yellow and blue with a circle – is raised on public buildings, and many schools serve bidos, a reindeer meat soup.

Joik is the traditional Sámi form of song. A joik is not about a person or a place; it is the person or the place. Many people get a joik of their own. Listen to Mari Boine or Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen to get an idea of modern Sámi music.

Reindeer herding is an important industry, but only a small share of Sámi work in it. In Norway, reindeer herding in the Sámi areas is reserved for Sámi people. If you drive in Finnmark or Troms in summer, there may be reindeer on the road – slow down and wait until they have moved.

A few words of North Sámi and how to show respect

You don't need to learn Sámi to live in the north, but a few words always go down well. «Bures!» means hello. «Giitu» means thank you. «Buorre beaivi» is good day, and «Mo manná?» means how are you. A common answer is «Bures dat manná» – it's going well.

Use the words «samer» (Sámi people) or «samisk» (Sámi). The old word «lapp» is seen as derogatory and should not be used, not even for places. Sámi culture is not a costume. The kofte, gákti in Sámi, is clothing with meaning: colours and patterns can show where you come from. Don't buy a copy to dress up in.

Ask before you take photos of people or reindeer, and don't walk into herds or fenced areas. If you want to experience Sámi culture as a tourist, choose activities run by Sámi themselves – for example in Karasjok, Kautokeino or around Tromsø.

Midnight sun, polar night and northern lights

North of the Arctic Circle the sun doesn't set in summer. In Tromsø the midnight sun lasts roughly from 20 May to 22 July. Many people sleep badly for the first few weeks; blackout curtains are common in bedrooms, and people go hiking at eleven at night.

In winter comes mørketid, the polar night. In Tromsø the sun stays below the horizon from late November to mid-January. Even so, it is not pitch black all day: around noon there is a blue, almost purple light. When the sun returns, many towns celebrate «soldagen», the sun day, with sun buns.

You see the northern lights best from September to March, on a clear, dark evening, some way from the city lights. Tromsø, Alta and Lofoten are popular places. Bring warm clothes and something hot to drink – you may be standing outside for a long time. And remember that even in Lofoten winter weather can close roads, so check vegvesen.no before you drive.