Women's role in sami culture

Women’s role in Sami culture

~ Origins ~
 Indigenous group called Finno-Ugric
inhabiting the Artic area of Sapmi.
 Northernmost indigenous people of
Europe
 Traditional languages classified as
the Uralic language family
 Pursued a variety of lifehoods

~ Marriage ceremonies ~
 Men need to follow guidelines to marry a Sami woman.
 Reindeers were given as wedding presents or the wife’s dowry.
 It was believed that reindeers affected every aspect of life.

~ Place in society ~
• Women have a lot power.
• Primary caretakers
• Sami culture contains a matriarchal
element.
• They contribute to their family’s
survival.

Sami feminist movement
• Female reindeer herders wanted to have the same rights as their
male counterparts.
• Many women refused to identify themselves as feminists.
• Creation of Sarahkka in 1988.
• The Saami women’s movement has examined gender equality and
indigenous political issues.
• Saami women are active in the media and political arenas.

~ Religion ~
• Christianity is the cause of Sami women oppression.
• Teaches women to subjugate
• Sami women held at a low esteem because of Christianity
• The importance of Sami women was noticeable in the Sami
shamanistic religion, before Christianity arrived.
• “He had only been a good Christian so long as his livehood with
Dr. Meers depended on it"
• "these people called Christians taught that a man must marry
only one wife."
SOURCE Emecheta, Buchi. "A Man Needs Many Wives." The Joys of
Motherhood: A Novel. New York: G. Braziller, 1979. 224. Print.

Religious rites and ceremonies
∞ Most important rites in the Sami culture are based on bear
ceremonies.
∞ Bears are thought to have a heavenly origin.
∞ They were sacrificed and a feast was organized to celebrate
its killing.
∞ The skull of the bear was preserved and holds a symbolic
aspect.
∞ Many small dramas were connected with Ob Ugrian bears.

Prayer
session at church
Traditional
Sami baptism

~ Gender roles ~
Traditionally:
• Men were responsible for herding, hunting, making boats sleds and
tools.
• Women cooked, made clothing and thread and cure meat.
• Modernization has caused the women’s loss of power in the family.
• ''One thing was sure : he gained the respecct and even the fear of Nnu
Ego."
SOURCE Emecheta, Buchi. "A Man Needs Many Wives." The Joys of
Motherhood: A Novel. New York: G. Braziller, 1979. 224. Print.

Effects of
modernization• Refers to: Norwegianization, Christian influences, and a loss of
traditional Saami culture.
• Women were the most affected by the change to a mainstream
society.
• Women were forced to quit most of their activities

Traditional Sami women clothing

~ Sources ~
• Sami woman. http://www2.robertharding.com/preview/RM/RH/VERTICAL/775-553.jpg,
N.p, N.d Web. 05 May 2015
• Sami woman.Digital image.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/JkOklBhxQ9w/UXgRLYbOYeI/AAAAAAAAAmA/lq_X3z0kz_8/s160
0/Sami+People.jpg, N.p, N.d Web. 05 May 2015
• Traditional clothes.Digital image. https://fr.pinterest.com/briankesinger/sami/, N.p, N.d
Web. 05 May 2015
• Sami map. Digital image. https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8e/44/a3/8e44a3cf8c7e0671538d3cfa0c256570.jpg, N.p, N.d Web.
05 May 2015
• Sami reindeers. http://i.imgur.com/SMALF.jpg, N.p, N.d Web. 05 May 2015
• Sami woman.Digital image. http://www.mooncalendarblog.co.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2013/03/wpid-Photo-20-Jul-2010-1838.jpgN.p, N.d Web. 05 May 2015
• Sami origins.Digital image. https://fr.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=sami%20origins, N.p,
N.d Web. 05 May 2015
• Sami origins. Digital image. https://fr.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=sami%20origins, N.p,
• Sami religion. Digital image. https://fr.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=sami+religion, N.p,
• Sami origins. Digital image. https://fr.pinterest.com/briankesinger/sami/, N.p, N.d Web.
05 May 2015
05 May 2015
05 May 2015

Women's role in sami culture

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