Sápmi (An Honorable Retelling)

Sápmi Republic Republiken Sápmelaš (Sami) Timeline: An Honorable Retelling
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  In nomine tuo, Domine, loquor "I speak in your name, Lord."
Anthem:  Sámi soga lávlla "Sami anthem"
Location of Location of Sápmi (green)
Capital		Kiruna
Official languages		Sami
Demonym		Sami
Government		Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
-	Chief Elder	Járre
Legislature		National Assembly
War of Independence
-	War of Independence	1917
-	Recognized	1922
Population
-	2017 estimate	245,392
Currency		European guilder (ƒ) (EUG)
Drives on the		right

Sápmi, officially the Sápmi Republic (Sámi: Republiken Sápmelas) is a country in northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden to the south, Denmark-Norway to the north and west, and Finland to the east. It is a landlocked country with no geographical access to bodies of water. It has a population of around 245,000, making it one of the least densely populated countries in Europe. It is a federal parliamentary constitutional republic with the main national figure being the Chief Elder, making it one of the few nations in Europe to hold an outdated form of government. The largest and most populous city is Kiruna, which houses around half of its population. The country is situated in the Northern Hemisphere, and is known for its cold climate.

Sápmi is populated almost entirely by the Sámi peoples, a group of Uralic-speaking individuals who historically have occupied regions in northern Scandinavia. At their height, they inhabited regions that encompass the northern halves of their neighbors, but were gradually assimilated by Swedish and Norwegian settlers in the coming centuries. During the era of the Swedish Empire, the Sámi peoples were subject to cultural suppression, culminating in a war of independence beginning in 1917, as Sweden was in civil war. After signing a non-aggression pact with the new socialist government in Sweden, Sápmi was recognized by the LTEP as a sovereign state. Since its foundation, the country has seen little industrial development, and largely relies on an agricultural economy in contrast to its neighbors. The country has maintained strict neutrality since its independence, and during the Cold War was a conditional non-aligned ally of Sweden, which prevented its occupation by other nations.

Sápmi is a member of the European Community, the League to Enforce Peace, and the Global Treaty Organization, all of which it joined in 2002. Its Chief Elder is Jarre, who was elected to the office in 2015.

History

Origins

A Sámi depicted in art, painting by François-Auguste Biard

The western Uralic languages are believed to have spread from the original Proto-Uralic homeland along the Volga, the longest river in Europe. Speakers of Finnic and Sámi languages have their roots in the middle and upper Volga region, within the Corded Ware culture. These groups likely began moving northwest from their homeland in the second and third quarters of the 2nd millennium BC, using ancient river routes in northern Russia. Some of these peoples settled in regions between Karelia, Ladoga, and Lake Ilmen, and even further east and southeast. Those who ended up in the Finnish Lakeland from 1600 to 1500 BC later became the Sámi. The Sámi people arrived in their current homeland during the Bronze Age or early Iron Age.

The Sámi language first developed on the southern side of Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga and spread from there. As speakers of this language moved into modern-day Finland, they encountered groups speaking smaller ancient languages (Paleo-Laplandic languages), which later became extinct but left traces in the Sámi language (Pre-Finnic substrate). As the language spread, it segmented into dialects. The geographical distribution of the Sámi has changed over time. From the Bronze Age, the Sámi occupied areas along the coast of Finnmark and the Kola Peninsula. This period also saw the arrival of the Siberian genome in Estonia and Finland, possibly linked to the introduction of Finno-Ugric languages in the region. Petroglyphs and archeological findings such as settlements, dating from about 10,000 BC can be found in Lapland and Finnmark, although these have not been demonstrated to be related to the Sámi people. These hunter-gatherers of the late Paleolithic and early Mesolithic were named Komsa by the researchers.

Early relationships with Scandinavians

Aleksander Lauréus's painting of the Sámi by the fire

The Sámi had a complex relationship with the Scandinavians, who are the dominant peoples of Scandinavia and were known as Norse people in the medieval era. These Scandinavians speak Scandinavian languages and founded the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden, thus establishing dominance in the region. The migration of Germanic-speaking peoples to southern Scandinavia occurred independently and separately from the Sámi migrations into the northern regions. For centuries, the Sámi and the Scandinavians had relatively little contact. The Sámi primarily lived inland in northern Fennoscandia, while the Scandinavians inhabited southern Scandinavia and gradually colonized the Norwegian coast. However, from the 18th century, and especially in the 19th century, the governments of Norway and Sweden began to assert sovereignty more aggressively in the north and targeted the Sámi with Scandinavization policies aimed at forced assimilation.

Before these forced Scandinavization policies, Norwegian and Swedish authorities largely ignored the Sámi and did not interfere much in their way of life. Norwegians moved north to gradually colonize the coast of modern-day Troms and Finnmark for an export-driven fisheries industry prior to the 19th century, but they showed little interest in the harsh, non-arable inland where reindeer-herding Sámi lived. Unlike the coastal Norwegians, who depended heavily on trade with the south, the inland Sámi lived off the land. From the 19th century, however, Norwegian and Swedish authorities began to view the Sámi as a "backward" and "primitive" people in need of "civilization." They imposed Scandinavian languages as the only valid languages of the kingdoms and effectively banned the Sámi language and culture in many contexts, particularly in schools.

Post-1800s and war of independence

Even as late as the early 18th century, many Sámi were still settling on farms abandoned since the 1650s. Over years of continuous migration, the Sea Sámi became far more numerous than the reindeer-herding mountain Sámi, who today make up only 10% of all Sámi. In contemporary times, there are ongoing consultations between the Government of Sweden and the Sámi Parliament regarding the coastal Sámi's right to fish in the seas based on historical use and international law. State regulation of sea fisheries underwent drastic changes in the late 1980s, linking quotas to vessels rather than fishers. These newly calculated quotas were distributed free of charge to larger vessels based on previous catch amounts, resulting in small vessels in Sámi districts largely falling outside the new quota system.

Isak Saba (1875-1925), a Norwegian-born Sámi politician who argued for independence

The Sámi lifestyle thrived for long periods due to its adaptation to the Arctic environment. In the 18th century, while Norwegians in Northern Norway faced low fish prices and depopulation, the Sámi culture strengthened as they were largely independent of Southern Norway's supplies. In the 19th century, Christianization pressures increased, with some Sámi adopting Laestadianism. The introduction of seven compulsory years of school in 1889 further pressured the Sámi language and traditional lifestyle through forced cultural normalization. Strong economic development in the north elevated Norwegian culture and language. In Sweden and Finland, authorities were less militant, but the Sámi language was still banned in schools, and economic development weakened the Sámi's cultural and economic status.

The outbreak of the Swedish Civil War as a consequence of the Third Great War in 1915 effectively guaranteed the Sámi the right to argue for independence. With little reinforcements in the north due to royal concentration in cities, most Sámi armed themselves with Russian-supplied weapons. They took to local towns and villages and raided them, before issuing a declaration of independence that was initially not recognized internationally. However, the new government under Isak Mikal Saba was able to negotiate a conditional alliance and non-aggression pact with the Swedish socialist movement, which had rapidly forced loyal remnants of the former Swedish Empire to flee or disintegrate. With relative Swedish recognition and assistance from Russia, independence was guaranteed.

Post-independence years and contemporary era

The Sámi were largely able to retain their independence for two reasons - the first being the stalwart support of the government of socialist Sweden, which sought to abolish old reactionary laws of the prior empire, and the second being its extensive armament as a result of funds from Sweden and Finland. These two nations largely aimed to recognize the region as self-sufficient, and conversely rarely dispersed economic aid. As a result, Sámi society remained agricultural with close to zero industrial development. During the Fourth Great War, the country retained neutrality, avoiding conditional ties with any power, though it diplomatically backed Sweden's claims overseas to avoid a breakdown in relations. However, the region being rich in natural resources made any findings of natural gas, metal, and oil immediately open to Swedish and German enterprises. These resources were largely extracted by said enterprises with the goal of furthering the industrial status quo of the Frankfurt Pact. Active mining locations rose after 1930, to increase economic output.

The development of wind turbines was sanctioned by the government beginning in the 1960s. These efforts were largely done to curb the effects of climate change, rather than to appear modernized to European powers. The country's low population began migrations to urban districts, but often did not immigrate to other nations due to strict protocols enforced by the government. The Swedish government issued a memorandum in 1970 which allowed its resource departments to access natural land reserves in Sápmi. In the late 1980s, state regulation of sea fisheries underwent significant changes. Quotas were linked to vessels rather than fishers, and these quotas were distributed free of charge to larger vessels based on their previous catch amounts. This change largely excluded small vessels in Sámi districts from the new quota system.

Recently, the Sámi successfully halted a water-prospecting venture that threatened to transform an ancient sacred site and natural spring, Suttesaja, into a large-scale water-bottling plant for the global market. This project, led by Swedish enterprises, posed a significant threat to the cultural and environmental integrity of the site. Radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel have been stored in the waters off the Kola Peninsula, including locations as close as two kilometers from Sámi communities. There are at least five sites where spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive waste are being deposited, often with little regard for the surrounding environment or population.

Government and politics

Sami parliament

There is no single, unified Sámi parliament that spans across the country. Instead, each of the nation's five districts has established its own separate legislature for Sámi people, although the three Sámi Parliaments often collaborate on cross-border issues. In all five districts, these parliaments act as institutions of cultural autonomy for the Indigenous Sámi people. They have very weak political influence, far from the authority vested in the country's Chief Elder. Formally, they are public authorities ruled by the Chief Elder, but they have democratically elected parliamentarians whose mission is to work for the Sámi people and culture. Candidates' election promises often conflict with the institutions' submission under their governments, but as authorities, they have some influence over the government.

Executive power

The executive power of the country is almost entirely held in the Chief Elder. The Chief Elder is elected democratically, and serves a life term, wherein an election is held following their death. They have the power to dismiss the country's legislatures and districts in times of emergency, and are solely responsible for diplomatic missions overseas. The main legislature is the National Assembly, which is often a guidance council used for the Chief Elder in decision making. It does not represent any of the district parliaments in the country. While it can regulate commerce inside and outside of the country, these decisions are left up to the districts separately. Owning land within the borders or being a member of a siida (Sámi corporation) grants certain rights. However, a law enacted in the mid-1990s allowed anyone to fish and hunt in the region, which was met with skepticism and anger among the siidas. The current Chief Elder is Jarre, who has been in power since 2015.

Culture

Religion

Copper etching (1767) by O.H. von Lode showing a noaidi with his meavrresgárri drum

Indigenous Sámi religion is a type of polytheism, with a variety of deities and spirits. Due to the vast area of Sápmi, there is significant diversity in beliefs and practices among different tribes. Sámi spirituality is closely connected to the land, animism, and the supernatural. It often features pantheism, emphasizing personal spirituality and its integration with daily life, as well as a deep connection between the natural and spiritual worlds. The Noaidi, or Sámi shaman, plays a crucial role in ritual communication with the supernatural, using tools like drums, Joik, Fadno, chants, sacred objects, and fly agaric mushrooms. Sámi cosmology divides the universe into three worlds. The upper world, associated with the South, warmth, life, and the color white, is the dwelling of the gods. The middle world, similar to the Norse Midgard, is the realm of humans and is linked to the color red. The underworld, associated with the North, cold, and the color black, is inhabited by otters, loons, seals, and mythical animals. Sámi religion shares some elements with Norse mythology, possibly due to early contacts with Vikings. They were among the last worshippers of Thor, continuing their practices into the 18th century. Research on Sámi mythology, notably by Lars Levi Læstadius during the La Recherche Expedition led by Joseph Paul Gaimard, resulted in "Fragments of Lappish Mythology," which documented only a small portion of the original beliefs.

Neo-shamanism

Today, many Sámi seek to return to the traditional Pagan values of their ancestors. Some Sámi claim to be noaidi (shamans) and offer their services through newspaper advertisements, New Age arrangements, or tourist groups. Although they practice a religion based on their ancestors' beliefs, widespread anti-pagan prejudice has led to these shamans not being viewed as part of an unbroken Sámi religious tradition. Traditional Sámi beliefs consist of three intertwining elements: animism, shamanism, and polytheism. Sámi animism is reflected in the belief that all significant natural objects (such as animals, plants, rocks, etc.) possess a soul. From a polytheistic perspective, traditional Sámi beliefs include a multitude of spirits. Many contemporary practitioners are compared to neo-pagans, as several neopagan religions combine elements of ancient pagan religions with more recent revisions or innovations. However, others feel they are attempting to revive or reconstruct Indigenous Sámi religions based on historic, folkloric sources and oral traditions.