Sámi culture in Finland
Who are the Sámi?
As with many indigenous communities, tradition and folklore is at the centre of Sámi life with reindeer, the Northern Lights and certain forms of shamanism still incredibly important to the 9,300-strong population of Sámi living in Finland today. However, the old ways are dwindling with fewer than 10 percent of Finnish Sámi relying on reindeer herding as their sole means of making ends meet.
Our Finland Holidays
Finland Northern Lights holiday, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
Winter cottage holiday in Finnish Lapland
Log fires, lakeside trails and a range of winter activities
Cross-country skiing holiday in Finland, Russian border
Guided hut-to-hut cross-country skiing holiday in Finland
Finland winter activity holiday & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
Northern Lights activity break in Finland, Arctic Hills
Experience the wilderness by car, snowmobile, skies, huskies
Finland wildlife short break
Bear, wolverine and elk widlife short break in Finland
Northern Lights family holiday, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing spa hotel
Lapland holiday, husky safari & log cottage
Luxurious log suite,northern lights & overnight husky safari
Husky safari in Finland
Sled with huskies through spectacular Finnish scenery
Finland hiking holiday
A hut-to-hut hiking journey along Finland's eastern border
Family winter activity holiday in Finland
A combination of activities, cottages & snowy landscapes
Finnish family winter adventure holiday
See the Northern Lights in Finland
Luxury wilderness Northern Lights holiday, Finland
Nangu Northern Lights Activity Holiday
Cross-country skiing holiday in Finland
Fun, relaxing cross-country skiing for beginners and pros.
Wild Taiga wildlife holiday in Finland
Special Taiga mammals of Finland
Scandinavia small group tour
Soak up a little Scandinavian minimalism
Family winter adventure in Finland
Great range of activities in Lapland's winter wilderness.
Winter adventure in Finland
Experiences which stay with you
Northern Lights short break in Nellim, Finland
Short Northern Lights break in Finland.
Winter tailor-made holiday in Finland
Adventure in Finnish Lapland, huskies, northern lights & more
Snowshoeing holiday in Finland
A great snowshoe tour in the new Hossa National Park.
Lapland New Year holiday, Northern Lights
New Year celebrations, Tromsø & the Northern Lights Route
Northern Lights short break, Finnish Lapland
Unique aurora tour with huskys, snowshoeing and snowmobiling
Finland snowshoeing holiday
Explore this stunning setting of Oulanka National Park
Winter holiday in Finnish Lapland, tailor made
Combine unbeatable comfort with winter adventure
Self drive family holiday in Finland
A self-drive holiday for families Finland
Christmas in Finland, log cabin stay
Log cabin week in Lapland over Christmas
Wild Taiga self drive holiday in Finland, Finnish NP
Self guided driving tour in Finland's Wild Taiga wilderness
Northern Lights holiday in Finnish Lapland, Harriniva
Hunt for the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland
Guided winter holiday in Lapland
Lapland adventure with e-sledding, huskies and snowshoeing.
In fact, since the early 1970s, Sámi languages, three of which stem from Finland, have been protected by the Finnish Sámi Parliament (Saamelaiskäräjät). However, it's not all rosy around the Arctic Circle, with countries like Sweden only officially recognising the rights of Sámi if they're deemed to be working within the reindeer herding industry – something which applies to less than 10 percent of the population. It’s these sorts of outdated perceptions that hinder the preservation of Sámi culture. If you’re looking for a clearer picture, visit Lapland for yourself, speak to the guides, the herders and learn more about the issues they’re facing.
Find out more in Finland
Visiting museums and exhibitions in Finland, such as the Siida Centre in Inari, Lapland, is one way that you can get a much fuller representation of what it means to be modern day Sámi as well as following the cultural threads which lead back to the ancient traditions and customs of the past.Small scale and harmony with nature are bywords for traditional Sámi culture and only by supporting sustainable and respectful Sámi tourism projects can you truly expect to find out more and help to preserve Sámi lifestyles, on their level, rather than from a voyeuristic point of view. Guiding tours is one such way that Sámi are beginning to make a living from tourism. Many have lived in Lapland all their lives and have such an intrinsic link with the natural world that you simply can't help but be drawn to their knowledge and enchanting fireside tales.
Our top Finland Holiday
Finland Northern Lights holiday, Wilderness Auroras
Winter activities & Aurora hunting in Finland
2021: 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 12 Dec, 19 Dec, 26 Dec
2022: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 23 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 20 Mar
Traditional Sámi culture
The natural world means everything to Sámi people with traditional handicrafts, based around the eight Sámi seasons, often still created in the home. These skills and an acute knowledge of natural resources and colours are then passed down from one generation to the next. Travellers are invited to contribute to the local economy by purchasing Sámi made items from authorised exhibition centres and museum shops. Keep an eye out for the Duodji label which indicates a sign of good quality made by a Sámi person using traditional methods and materials.The Northern Lights will, of course, have been a source of many a yoik carried through a cold winter's night. The Sámi word for these is guovssahas, literally translated as 'the light you can hear'. Sámi legend has it that the Aurora Borealis is the souls of the departed and the shaman’s drums would depict the colourful flames from the sky within their designs. Waving and whistling, and generally disrespecting the lights, is forbidden.
Helping to keep the lights alive
Make sure that when you visit Lapland your interaction with Sámi people is genuine. Although there might be situations where you’ll see people dressed in traditional Sámi costume, for example, try to ascertain if the Sámi themselves are benefitting from these encounters, and that their culture is not being exploited for the sake of tourism. It can be deeply insulting to Sámi, and to travellers, if an event is misrepresentative of the culture and put on purely for profit. On the flip side, observing a genuine cultural display which projects both tradition and historical practices can be incredibly moving and can also allow more remote Sámi communities to carry on as they always have, away from the voyeuristic glare of selfie snapping tourists.Join a small group with a local Sámi guide who can tell you more about Lapland’s wilderness areas as well as imparting more information about cultural heritage and the relationship with the natural world. Another authentic way to learn about Sámi culture is to take a tailor made, self drive holiday where you’ll get to spend time with reindeer herders. There’s no one better to show you the snow covered landscapes by reindeer drawn sleigh as well as explaining the basics of reindeer husbandry and what it means to live in the wilds of Lapland. These situations aren’t contrived purely for entertainment purposes; they’re actually very personal and allow travellers and local people to interact and learn from each other and, in so doing, help to preserve Sámi culture for many more moons to come.