This page will connect you with resources related to the Sami people. For help locating books in the library, consult this guide and/or ask for directions at the library's information desk. If you have resources to suggest, please feel free to email us. Finally, although you'll find a wealth of information here, this guide is not intended to be comprehensive. Please search the library's catalog or chat with a librarian to find additional resources.
We'd also like to draw your attention to issues revolving around naming. Searching for information about indigenous peoples can be complicated by the politics of naming. Do catalogers use the word Sami, Sapmi, or Lapp? What about Eskimo versus Inuit? Dakota or Sioux? Ojibwe, Anisinaabe, or Chippewa? As you search, be aware that the names of groups have changed over time and subject headings or database descriptors may use a name that seems incorrect or even offensive.
photo courtesy of Jari
The Sami (sometimes spelled Saami; also called Sámit and Sápmelaš; in the past called Lapps or Lapplanders) are a people who live in Sápmi, the northern reaches of Europe, including the Scandinavian nations and the Kola peninsula of Russia. Traditionally they relied on fishing and herding (particularly of reindeer) for their livelihood, adapting to the arctic landscape. Today they face the same issues as many indigenous people - discrimination, destructive cultural assimilation programs, issues over land rights, and retaining their cultural identity as their land is divided by the borders of countries with different laws and cultures.
Saami: A Cultural Encyclopedia by Interested in listening to music by Sami artists? Click the links below to listen.
The Indigenous Identity of the South Saami by 
Bridging Divides: Ethno-political Leadership Among the Russian Sámi by 
From Lapland to Sápmi: Collecting and Returning Sámi Craft and Culture by 
The Sámi Peoples of the North: A Social and Cultural History by 
Sami Education by 
Sami Culture in a New Era: The Norwegian Sami Experience by 
Language, Citizenship, and Sámi Education in the Nordic North, 1900-1940 by 
In the Shadow of the Midnight Sun: Contemporary Sami Prose and Poetry by 
Trekways of the Wind by Kautokeino opprøret
Audio Visual PN 1995.9 F4 K39 2008
"Religious and cultural reawakening inspires rebellion in a 19th century Norwegian village. Based on the true story of the Kautokeino riots in Kautokeino, Norway in 1852 in response to the Norwegian exploitation of the Sami community."
Hjordeliv (Herdswoman)
Audio Visual DL971.L2 H56 2008
"This colorful film portrays three Sami women of different generations as they follow the reindeer herds of Lapland. Their stories reflect the transition from a nomadic existence to modern life. When a court case questions their ancient rights to the reindeers' pasture, their life as reindeer keepers is at risk. The film captures the vulnerability of indigenous peoples in the modern world and the colonization process which has led to the present conflict over the right to land and water."
Even If a Hundred Ogres
Audio Visual DL42.L36 E93 1996
"Sami people of the arctic region north of Europe enact their ancient traditions using drama, music, and dance."
Ofelaš (Pathfinder)
Audio Visual PN1995.9.A3 O34 1988
"A young Laplander, taken prisoner by the Tchude tribe and forced to be their pathfinder through the Arctic north, struggles to save his own tribe from the threat of the Tchudes. Based on a 12th century Lapp legend."
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
