Introduction

Bures! Hello!

“Saami” (also spelt “Sami” or “Same”) refers to a community of peoples living in northern Scandinavia.

Unlike other minority idioms such as Breton (in France), the Saami language is not confined to a geographical area that is specific to one country, nor does it constitute a single form of expression (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation). Rather, the Saami are scattered around northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, and ten different types of Saami can be found; the North Saami strand being the most spoken, with approximately 25,000 speakers today (see the caption of the map for the full list of forms).

This rich diversity brings the question of representation of the Saami culture. We shall focus our research on the North Saami branch, and more specifically how recent phenomena such as globalisation and enhanced international mobility modify the scope of Saami culture. Being the global emblem of multiculturalism, London seems to be the most appropriate place to study the intercultural interactions between the Saami and citizens of Europe.

To complete this research, we will notably examine the Saami’s historical origins, their evolution in an oppressing context, their music, literature, fashion and finally their gastronomy (we will attempt to concoct one of their recipes in full!).

Through this task, our hope is to perpetuate the specificities of the Saami culture despite the risk of its imminent extinction (UNESCO).