Community Response
Language and Cultural Preservation
January 2017 was one of the hottest months ever recorded. In the Arctic, the climate is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth. Traditional knowledge, once cast aside as inferior, is now sought after by climate scientists eager for more data. The Sami University of Applied Sciences hopes to train Saami people in the sciences, so that they can then return to their communities and conduct valuable climate research.
In addition to providing classes in the sciences, management, law, and journalism, the Saami University also sustains Saami traditions with classes in Saami languages, handicrafts, and a degree program in reindeer husbandry (Hoag).
Today, Norway, Sweden, and Finland all are making an effort to promote the Saami languages. Unfortunately, many of the Saami languages have very few speakers left. Northern Saami, rated a 2 on the EGIDS scale, is far less threatened than the other Saami languages. Because it is an official language of multiple provinces and municipalities, Northern Saami has more funding to put towards educational materials, classes, etc (Gaski & Weinstock).
Saami languages, particularly Northern Saami, are used in mass media. One example, NRK Sapmi, is an all-Saami language radio and TV station. Saami radio and television help keep Saami cultural traditions alive. The video below explains the importance of Saami radio stations.
Another way of preserving Saami culture is by celebrating Saami art. In the Kola peninsula in Russia, the Saami parliament established an art gallery displaying Saami art and crafts. In 2011, the Sami Cultural Center of North America in Duluth, Minnesota was formed for American Saami who want to celebrate their heritage and keep customs alive.
Conservation Efforts and Support of Other Indigenous Groups
The Dakota Access Pipeline, a planned underground oil access pipeline, is currently being protested by the Lakota tribe at Standing Rock Reservation. The Lakota claim that the pipeline would disturb ancestors' burial sites and could potentially pollute their water supply ("Dakota Access Pipeline"). Chairman of the Norwegian Saami Association Beaska Niillas and Saami artist Sara Marielle Guap Beaska traveled to North Dakota to show their support of the Lakota. They succeeded in getting one pipeline investor, Norway's DNB, to sell off their $3 million investment (Bonogofsky).
Political Efforts
Norway, Finland, and Sweden all have their own Saami Parliaments. Annually, these parliaments receive funding from their respective countries. This funding is used to promote Saami culture, language, and social life. The parliaments of these three countries also form the Saami Council. Unfortunately, neither the Saami parliaments nor the Saami Council has the right to procure funding; therefore, though they have the illusion of freedom, the Saami parliaments' activities are limited by how much funding their countries choose to bestow upon them (Gaski & Weinstock). The video below explains the Norwegian Saami Parliament and its functions and goals.