What is a Sámi village?
Perhaps you have hiked in the mountains and seen houses and thought it was a Sámi village. But in reality, you passed a Sámi settlement, which is a summer residence in the mountains where the reindeer herders stay when the reindeers are on summer pasture.
But what is a Sámi village then?
A Sámi village is not an actual village but a large geographical area where reindeer husbandry is practiced. The Sámi villages are organized as an economic and administrative association with a board that represents the reindeer owners in that village. According to the Swedish Reindeer Husbandry Act, a Sámi village may engage in reindeer husbandry but no other economic activities.
The purpose is to carry out reindeer husbandry in the best possible way for all members in the area.
The right to practice reindeer husbandry in Sweden is a right that belongs to the Sámi people. A Sámi who wants to exercise their right to reindeer husbandry must be a member of a Sámi village. The purpose is to carry out reindeer husbandry in the best possible way for all members in the area. Sometimes multiple Sámi villages join forces and cooperate because the reindeer graze in different areas.
Different kind of Sámi villages
There are a total of 51 Sámi villages, of which 33 are mountain Sámi villages, 10 are forest Sámi villages, and 8 are concession Sámi villages. The mountain Sámi villages stretch across the country, long and narrow from the coast to the mountains. This is because the reindeer follow the seasons, with summer grazing in the mountain landscapes and winter grazing in the forest landscapes.
The forest Sámi villages are often smaller and rounder in shape
The forest Sámi villages are often smaller and rounder in shape, where the reindeer graze year-round. Thus, forest Sámi reindeer husbandry is more stationary, unlike the mountain Sámi villages, which are more nomadic. Concession reindeer husbandry is practiced in the easternmost part of Norrbotten along the Torne and Kalix river valleys. Here, reindeer husbandry is conducted with a special permit from the county administrative board, a concession, which can be held by a Sámi, but the reindeer owners are not necessarily Sámi people.
The local Sámi villages in Laponia world heritage is Unna Tjerusj, Sirges, Jåhkågaska Tjiellde, Tuorpon and Luoktá-Mavas.
Quick facts
What is a Sámi village?: An economic and administrative association
How many Sámi villages are there in Sweden: 51
Which are the Sámi villages in Laponia: Unna Tjerusj, Sirges, Jåhkågaska Tjiellde, Tuorpon och Luoktá-Mavas.