By ANGIE DONOVAN
Herald correspondent
POULSBO — It was the first gathering in Poulsbo of Sámi people from North American since 1998.
And there was a lot to celebrate here at the latest gathering, called Siddastallan, Aug. 12-14.
Siddastallan takes place at a different location in North America every year, as selected by organizers.
Those gathered are the descendants of Scandinavia’s indigenous people, who were subjected there to assimilation policies similar to those forced on Native Americans here.
Today, their culture is undergoing a reawakening, as Sámi people worldwide reconnect with their heritage and take their place among the world’s Indigenous Peoples and fight to preserve their traditional homelands, language and lifeways.
The Sámi, who are indigenous to the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Asian Kola Peninsula.
Their story is a familiar one to indigenous peoples. Their traditional homelands, known as Sápmi, were exploited by outsiders for their resources. Sámi children were forced to attend reeducation schools. Sámi culture and language were banned.
Today, the Sámi have a parliament in Sápmi, and Sámi people are active in working to preserve their land, culture and language.
Dr. Troy Storfjell, associate professor of Norwegian and Scandinavian Studies at Pacific Lutheran University, talked about the connection among indigenous people all over the world.
“The four R’s describe the solidarity of the Sámi with all indigenous peoples: Relationship, Responsibility, Reciprocity, and Redistribution. These R’s go two ways — giving and receiving,” he said.
“Embracing these values makes each of us Sámi in our hearts,” Storfjell also said.
During the gathering here, participants — many dressed in traditional clothing — shared family histories. They viewed films related to Sámi culture, and participated in panel discussions of Sámi history in Poulsbo and abroad.
The Sámi in Poulsbo are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of herders who were hired by the U.S. government to introduce reindeer husbandry to Alaska Natives as an alternate source of economy and food.
The reindeer is to Sámi culture what the salmon is to the Coast Salish.
Sámi recruited from their homelands by the U.S. traveled with their herds by train and ship to Unalakleet, Alaska in 1898. The reindeer thrived on the Alaskan tundra, and at one time there were 28 stations where Alaska Natives could learn reindeer husbandry and start their own herds.
With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, Sámi were forced to sell their herds at a loss. Many Sámi resettled in the lower 48 or returned to Norway. Many Sámi made their way to the Poulsbo area to restart their lives.
At dusk on Aug. 13, Sámi gathered around a bonfire at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park and visited, shared more histories, and made more connections.
“We are trying to create an opportunity for people of Sámi heritage to not only learn about their history, but also about the contemporary challenges of being an indigenous people and country,” said Lynn Gleason, president of the Pacific Sámi Searvi.
“[We want them to] meet people of Sámi ancestry from other parts of the country and learn more about the local Sámi who helped found the town of Poulsbo, as very little or anything [has been] published about them.”
