Sami Craftsmanship
Because they spent so much time on their own, Sami families needed to know how to make their own tools. Men wove nets and carved many tools from wood, bone,…
Tools of Daily Life in Sapmi
Because they spent so much time on their own, Sami families needed to know how to make their own tools. Men wove nets and carved many tools from wood, bone, and antler. They created cups, plates, utensils, knife sheaths, and lasso toggles for their households. They were also responsible for preserving reindeer hides and furs.[1][2] A noaidi drum, reserved for men, was kept in most households. The sacred symbols on the drumskin were painted with red alder juice, and its runebomme hammer carved from antler or wood.[3]
Women typically were more preoccupied with weaving and embroidery. Coastal Sami families in particular specialized in cloth and clothing. Because they often lived near port towns, they had easier access to cotton, silk, and other fabrics. Furthermore, their settled lifestyles made it possible to work with larger looms. They sold their goods to Mountain and Forest Sami on their annual migrations. Sami clothing is famous for its colorful woven bands and use of metallic threads for decoration.[1][4]
Sami Duodji Crafts
Today, Sami craft is preserved through the duodji industry. Fuelled by an eager tourism market and pride in Sami heritage, duodji transforms practical items into works of art. Wood, bone, and antler carvings are especially popular, along with silver spoons and jewelry. Additionally, many Sami artists create baskets, clothing, and home decorations based on Sami tradition.
The crafts industry has been a valuable support for Sami families as their historic occupations grow more limited. Authentic Sami artists, however, face competition from mass-produced look-alikes marketed as real Sami goods. Many have organized and now mark authentic crafts with a Duodji association sticker or tag.[5][6]
Bibliography
Hugh Beach, "The Saami" in Endangered Peoples of the Arctic: Struggles to Survive and Thrive, ed. Milton M. R. Freeman (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000) 223-246.
Tim Ingold, Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture (London: Routledge, 2013), 101.
Rune Blix Hagen, "Witchcraft and Ethnicity" in Writing Witch-Hunt Histories: Challenging the Paradigm, ed. Marko Nenonen (Leiden: Brill, 2014), 141-166.
Sophus Tromholt, Under the Rays of the Aurora Borealis: In the Land of the Lapps and Kvæns: Volume II, ed. Carl Siewers (London: Sampson Low, 2012), 143-147.
Rune Fjellheim, "The Suppressive Effects of Defining Traditional Occupations: The Saami Example" in Traditional Occupations of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples: Emerging Trends (Geneva: ILO, 2000) 125-147.
"Sami Centre for Contemporary Art," Northern Norway, Northern Norway Tourist Board, accessed December 6, 2016.
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