The Sami

"...

Saemieh, the reindeerpeople.

The Sami's language, traditional clothing, handicraft, and music, are distinctively different from other ethnic groups in Scandinavia.

In Sweden there is 44 native communitys where the familys derives most of the income from their reindeers, an economy that in most cases is combined with fishing, hunting and crafts.
A majority of the Sami population pursue other careers however, since there isn't enough space for everyone in a habitat that is constantly shrinking due to mining operations, clean-cutting of the forests and the construction of hydroelectric powerplants.

The "Reindeer Husbandry Law" of 1971, allows the Sami some freedom for the economical life within the native communitys. The present law, like its predecessors, does however only regulate the rights of Sami's involved in the reindeerhusbandry. So only those Sami's who carry out reindeer herding have any native land and water rights in the Sami nation. The land and water rights of Sami fishermen and hunters or other Sami's have never been covered by law.

Most Sami's do however have a familymember or a relative who in some way are involved with the reindeers. So the reindeers are still fundamental to the Sami culture and society, with the possible exception for the fishing Seasami's of northwestern Norway.

As with most indigenous peoples the Sami never has had an sovereign state of their own and today they live in an area which have been divided by Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Currently, there are Sami political, cultural and youth organizations in all four countries and a Sami Parliament in each of the three Scandinavian ones.

..."

From: An Introduction to the Sami People

More info: The Sami (the s.c. nordic FAQ)