100th anniversary of Sami National Day

"This year marks a special year for the Sami in all of the Nordic countries. 6 February marks a hundred years since the Sami met at a first joint congress in Trondheim in Norway to discuss joint challenges and issues. The meeting was an important step in the process of becoming accepted as a people. In Sweden, the Sami were acknowledged as an Indigenous people in 1976, and since the UN held its International Year of the World's Indigenous People in 1993, the Sami has celebrated their annual National Day on 6 February. That's why Umeå University raises its Sami flags today," writes Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dieter Müller in the Management blog (in Swedish).

Researchers Patrik Lantto and Åsa Össbo, both from Vaartoe, the Centre for Sami Research, are paying attention to the anniversary through the debate article "100 years of Sami struggle for rights to land and self-determination". The article has for instance been published in the newspapers Norrbottens-Kuriren and Norran (in Swedish).

"The anniversary celebrations – that will carry on throughout 2017 – visualise a century of Sami struggles for self-determination over land, resources and their own development. The Sami position has strengthened over the course of this period, but issues that were on the agenda at the beginning of the 20th century still have bearing in today's future challenges," says Patrik Lantto and Åsa Össbo.

This was also the first day for the new Umeå University flag in Ume Sami to be raised. And on the façade of the Humanities Building, a banner illustrating the Sami season Gijrradálvvie (spring/winter) has been hung.

Another highlight this day was a lunch concert with the band Stuoris ja Bálddonas, whose music can be described as a mixture between traditional Sami yoik and blues. The performance was broadcasted live and can be seen afterwards at the University's own film channel, Umu Play.

More reading:
Sami jubilee celebrated on campus