Dislocation of Sami people
Encyclopedia
The Dislocation of Sami people refers to the ordered movement of 300-400 Sami people
s from Jukkasjärvi
and Karesuando
in 1920s to 1940s.
and Russia
.
Russia wanted the right to keep on fishing in Norwegian fjords but this was denied by Norway.
In 1852 Russia answered by cutting off all relationships with Norway, causing regions in Torne Valley
(on the Finnish-Russian side) to be excluded from Norwegian Samis' traditional pasture lands and vice versa. About 400 individuals from Norwegian Kautokeino
area then started to change nationality to Swedish and settled in the parish of Karesuando
, simply to gain access to previous pasture regions in Finland
, since Russia said that Swedish Samis could enter Finland. This lasted until 1889, when Russia closed the border between Sweden and Finland also for Swedish Samis.
, Gällivare
, and Jokkmokk
. Among these were Johan Turi
. These first movings was all by own choice.
and Jokkmokk
in south Norrbotten
but also to Västerbotten
particularly Tärnaby
. This relocation is what most people mean when they talk about Dislocation by force since those who resisted were threatened by law.
were different from the Sami originally living in the areas to which they moved, great controversy emerged. Most of the conflicts were centered around reindeer herding since the North Sami were used to other conditions and had different methods of herding. when the authorities intervened, they were unable to solve the problems however they sided with the North Sami, claiming that they were more primitive - an opinion possibly based on clear racism. These conflicts between the original users of the land and the newcomers still divides the Sami in the area today.
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
s from Jukkasjärvi
Jukkasjärvi
Jukkasjärvi is a locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 519 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated at 321 meters elevation....
and Karesuando
Karesuando
Karesuando is the northernmost locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 313 inhabitants in 2005....
in 1920s to 1940s.
Background
This was outermost a result of political nature between NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Russia wanted the right to keep on fishing in Norwegian fjords but this was denied by Norway.
In 1852 Russia answered by cutting off all relationships with Norway, causing regions in Torne Valley
Torne Valley
The Torne Valley or Torne River Valley lies at the border of Sweden and Finland. In 2009 it became one of the Sub-regions of Finland. It is named after the Torne River flowing through the valley and into the Gulf of Bothnia...
(on the Finnish-Russian side) to be excluded from Norwegian Samis' traditional pasture lands and vice versa. About 400 individuals from Norwegian Kautokeino
Kautokeino
or Guovdageaidnu , is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino...
area then started to change nationality to Swedish and settled in the parish of Karesuando
Karesuando
Karesuando is the northernmost locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 313 inhabitants in 2005....
, simply to gain access to previous pasture regions in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, since Russia said that Swedish Samis could enter Finland. This lasted until 1889, when Russia closed the border between Sweden and Finland also for Swedish Samis.
The first movings
After the pasture in Karesuando became exhausted, which happened very quickly due to many of the families who left Kautokeino had very large herds, some of the original families of Karesuando and some of Kautokeino moved to the parishes of JukkasjärviJukkasjärvi
Jukkasjärvi is a locality situated in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 519 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated at 321 meters elevation....
, Gällivare
Gällivare
Gällivare is a locality and the seat of Gällivare Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 8,480 inhabitants in 2005. The town was founded in the 17th century...
, and Jokkmokk
Jokkmokk
Jokkmokk is a locality and the seat of Jokkmokk Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 2,976 inhabitants in 2005. The Sámi name of the place means "River's Curve", due to the meandering river that runs through it...
. Among these were Johan Turi
Johan Turi
Johan Turi, born Johannes Olsen Thuri also spelt Johan Tuuri or Johan Thuri or Johan Thuuri was the first Sami author to publish a secular work in a Sami language...
. These first movings was all by own choice.
The forced relocation
In 1919 Norway and Sweden wrote a new convention about reindeer pasture areas. This led to the four northernmost sami villages lost their right to pasture in Norway. As the herds grew and the situation became worse, the Swedish parliament decided that the amount of reindeer in Karesuando should be decreased or else moved. Most herders refused to cut down their herd and the authorities decided to move some families from Karesuando by force. In the early 1920s several families and 10,000s of reindeer were moved. Most of them to ArjeplogArjeplog
Arjeplog is a locality and the seat of Arjeplog Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 1,947 inhabitants in 2005.It is a popular winter test site for the European car industry....
and Jokkmokk
Jokkmokk
Jokkmokk is a locality and the seat of Jokkmokk Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 2,976 inhabitants in 2005. The Sámi name of the place means "River's Curve", due to the meandering river that runs through it...
in south Norrbotten
Norrbotten
Norrbotten is a Swedish province in northernmost Sweden. It borders south to Västerbotten, west to Swedish Lapland, and east to Finland.- Administration :...
but also to Västerbotten
Västerbotten
', English exonym: West Bothnia, is a province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders Ångermanland, Lapland, Norrbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is famous for the cheese with the same name as the province.- Administration :...
particularly Tärnaby
Tärnaby
Tärnaby is a locality situated in Storuman Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 533 inhabitants in 2005.It is known for its successful skiers, particularly in the "technical" disciplines: Slalom and Giant Slalom: Ingemar Stenmark, Anja Pärson, Bengt Fjällberg, Stig Strand and Jens Byggmark...
. This relocation is what most people mean when they talk about Dislocation by force since those who resisted were threatened by law.
The third wave
In the 1940:s a few families moved from Karesuando to Jokkmokk and Norway. This was all by own choice.Consequenses
Since the Northern SamiNorthern Sami
Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland...
were different from the Sami originally living in the areas to which they moved, great controversy emerged. Most of the conflicts were centered around reindeer herding since the North Sami were used to other conditions and had different methods of herding. when the authorities intervened, they were unable to solve the problems however they sided with the North Sami, claiming that they were more primitive - an opinion possibly based on clear racism. These conflicts between the original users of the land and the newcomers still divides the Sami in the area today.