Sami National Day 6th Feb

[Rusco]

Today, 6th of February is the National Day of Sami (Saami/Sapmi) people.

Saami are a big group of indigenous people living in the northern territory (lapland) of Norway, Sweden, Finland & some parts of Russia. Saami include 9 different ethnicities that all speak their own dialect of Sami language. They have a flag and very long traditions that are thousands of years old.




Here is a Sami artist called Wimme Saari singing traditional 'joik'. Enjoy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hM7tWLp2Rlg&list=RDhM7tWLp2Rlg&index=1

[Rusco]

For those interested here is a quick look into the indigenous people of Northern Europe:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9mxXHe6MdTs

[cthulhu]

Thanks for sharing! Very interesting, impressive and inspiring. Really loved the "joik", very touching and beautiful. Are you a Saami? It was very interesting to hear that they are connected also to other indigenous people around the Globe, like the Maori. Underneath religion and politics lies spirituality, which connects us all..

[Rusco]

I'm don't belong to Sami, I am from Savonian descent. But my ex girlfriend studied a lot of folklore of other Fenno-Ugrian cultures. And my mom was working in Finnish Literature Society so there's been a bit of influence I admit.

In the history Finns were hunter gatherers and there was a divide of people into tribes depending on where they lived. which were notably Tavastians, Karelian, Savonian, Ostrobothnian, Lapp, Sami, and the west coasters. There are still some difference between them and traditions, art and handcrafts are still present somehow to this day. Thousands of years ago the Sami were said to inhabit also southern parts of Finland and due to some sources they were assumed to mix also with Karelians in the east that may have been the origins of Savonian tribe at first. Then the Sami have moved to north.

Apart Sami, of course nowadays people don't talk about tribes anymore and the system is loosely tied with ways of living. But many people still excercise hunting and gathering, do handcrafts and some start up firms selling goods etc.

[cthulhu]

I also got a little european tribal background, i would say. My parents are "Siebenbürger Sachsen", located in Transsylvania Rumania and they fled the communist regime at that time. They speak a dialect and romanian and i can understand that dialect but not talk it. Of course they can also talk hochdeutsch=german. We had some struggles in the past because of my rebellion, my youthful rebellion, against the "system"  and i have not a big knowledge about Siebenbürgen. But i can feel the difference and this theme interested me more and more with age.

Here's a foto of some traditional clothing:


Well, let me say i wouldn't really now want to dress like that, but it has a meaning and roots and i also really don't like/hate to wear a suit and tie, which was required for me in this society from time to time...

I think the future lies in reconnecting with these tribal structures of society, having a knowledge and traditions that are grounded and passed on from generation to generation through hundreds and also thousands of years. Adapting yes, but not at the cost of loosing identity.

Want to post a picture here to illustrate some thoughts behind my thoughts;-)




Ok, picture is not sharp but it says:

Ancestors in 300 years and 11 Generations
The powerful force of your ancestors

For you being there it needs:
    2 Parents
    4 Grandparents
    8 Great-Grandgrandparents
   16 Great-Great-Grandparents
   32 Great-Great-Great-Grandparents
   64 Hexa-Grandparents
 128 Penta-Grandparents
 256 Hexa-Grandparents
 512 Octa-Grandparents
1024 Enea-Grandparents
2048 Deca-Grandparents 

The sum of the last 11 Generations makes 4094 Ancestors and all that in about 300 years.

Wow, think about this tremendous force and become aware of your own potential, which stands behind you, strenghtens your back and is available to you.
Source: Stefanie Schlitt

[Rusco]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge and your part of the culture you come from, Cthulhu.
It was interesting to read. What I think is important is our memory of the roots we come from. To document it, write it up in some form to our beloved, friends and children. But to bear in mind that at the same time there are also foul intentions by these new rightwingers and so called ethnonationalists trying to corrupt unsuspecting people who are interested of folklore by telling them lies about people's ethnicity and history. It's up to us to speak the truth and cut their lies.

[cthulhu]

I feel myself more or less tribeless. Just wanted to share and contribute a little personal stuff here and as i said i have not a great amount of knowledge of the history of my ancestors. I see a big difference between tribes like the Sami and the Siebenbürger in the practiced religion. I think the Sami managed more to keep their spirituality, meaning the connection to their place, roots, sourroundings and nature while co-living with the driving force of the missionary itentions of the christian movement. My folks are more involved in christianity, not catholics but protestants and i think that my inner rejection of the "company church" and their system also led to a rejection of thinking religion and traditions can have a good side.
I think Drag it Down says a lot about parts of these thoughts and feelings for me about these subjects, tradition, religion, modernity and i'm glad to have such a great song(s) to reflect on and about.

[Master Ray]

A very interesting read, I confess I know nothing about the culture but it was very educational, thanks for that!