The Economy of Sapmi
A look at the historic economics of Sapmi.
Economics of the Coast, Forest, and Mountain Sami
Not all Sami people were reindeer herders. Along the coasts, for example, few people kept reindeer. Instead, they survived through hunting, fishing, trade, and small farms. The Forest Sami led semi-nomadic lives. While families might keep penned reindeer, most were still primarily hunters and fishermen. Only the Mountain Sami guided their large herds across plains and up mountains with the seasons.
These three basic lifestyles created a complex economic system within Sápmi. Each group specialized in different goods. Coastal fishermen traded fish, whale, and seal products for imported fabrics and other items. Women then turned the fabrics into wool and cotton clothing. They exchanged the clothes with Mountain and Forest Sami, who brought them furs, hides, meat, and other natural resources.[1][2]
Early Trade and Tributes With the Outside World
Especially in pre-Christian times, the typical Sami family was self-sufficient. Men hunted, fished, carved tools, and handled reindeer. Women farmed, prepared meals, milked reindeer, and made clothing from hides and furs. They were not, however, cut off from the outside world. Powerful kingdoms to the south loomed throughout Sami history, always shaping their own growth as a culture.
Most notable were the Norse chieftains whose raiders would later be called Vikings. The scattered, peaceful Sami were no match for their military power. On the other hand, their cold and rocky lands held little appeal for the Norse. Instead of warfare, the two cultures worked out a system of trade and tribute. The Norse collected regular taxes from local Sami communities, mostly through reindeer products and dried fish. One 9th-century Norse trader, Ottar, recorded Sami tributes of hides, whale bones, and down, which made up the majority of his income.[3][4]
Changing Lifestyles in Sápmi
Over time, the nations of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia divided Sápmi between themselves. The question of Sami trade and the wealth it offered remained. For the most part, nations taxed the Sami in natural resources like hides and fish. Furs were most valuable of all. The Sami brought squirrel, fox, marten, otter, wolverine, wolf, beaver, and bear pelts to hungry markets. Trade with the outside world increased at this time, bringing in jewelry and luxury goods like cotton and coffee.[4][5]
This arrangement, though similar to past Norse tributes, caused increasing hardship for the Sami. Reindeer herders crossed several borders on their annual journeys and paid taxes to each nation. This forced them to slaughter more wild reindeer to pay their dues. At the same time, farmers from the south began to settle their traditional pastures. With reindeer herds thinning, the Sami turned to farming and domestication to make a living. By the 17th century, most had converted to Christianity and settled into agriculture.[6]
Economics of Modern Sápmi
This trend away from the old hunter-gatherer lifestyle of the Sami continued to the modern day. Around 10 percent of today's Sami people are connected to reindeer herding. Modern herders use equipment like snowmobiles and helicopters where once they had dogs and sleds. Many now work in the fishing, farming, and tourism industries. Others pursue Western-style careers in search of greater economic opportunities. Sami farmers, herders, and fishermen face challenges from climate change, outside competition, and outdated regulations.[7]
Bibliography
Aleksander Pluskowski, "The Castle and the Warren: Medieval East Anglian Fur Culture in Context" in East Anglia and its North Sea World in the Middle Ages, ed. David Bates and Robert Liddiard (Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2013), 152-173.
Lars Ivar Hansen, Hunters in Transition: An Outline of Early Sámi History (Leiden: Brill, 2014), 166.
Eljas Orrman, "Rural Conditions" in The Cambridge History of Scandinavia, Volume 1, ed. Knut Helle (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 250-311.
Myrdene Anderson, "Food Trends Among Saami in Arctic Saapmi" in Gender and Food: From Production to Consumption and After, eds. Marcia Texler Segal and Vasilikie P. Demos (London: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2016) 4-22.
Hansen, 237-239.
Jordan D. Paper, Through the Earth Darkly: Female Spirituality in Comparative Perspective (New York: Continuum, 1997), 15.
Juvva Lemet and Klemmeti Nakkalajarvi, "Perspective of Saami Reindeer Herders on the Impact of Climate Change and Related Research" in Climate Change and Arctic Sustainable Development: Scientific, Social, Cultural and Educational Challenges, ed. Douglas Nakashima (Paris: Unesco, 2009), 131-143.
About TOTA
TOTA.world provides cultural information and sharing across the world to help you explore your Family’s Cultural History and create deep connections with the lives and cultures of your ancestors.
