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Sami People

Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-OCT-16

Geography
History of the flag
Description of the flag
Symbolism of the flag
Status of the flag

See also:

Unofficial Flag of the Sami people
Norway
Finland
Russian Federation
Sweden
Introduction about the Sami people
Introduction about the Sami people
Article about the Sami in Finland

Geography

The Sami people live in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and The Russian Federation. Their language belongs to the Uralic language family, the Finno-Ugric branch to be specific. It is related to the Finnish and Estonian languages. In reality there are three different Sami languages, and a variety of dialects. In all the Sami population numbers about 70.000 people. About 45.000 live in Norway (mostly in the county of Finnmark), 17.000 in Sweden, 6000 in Finland, and about 2000 in Russia.

Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-OCT-16

History of the flag

The question of a adopting a flag surfaced with the increased activism among the Sami in the 1970s. The idea of having a flag was first regarded as too radical by many. These people associated the idea with demands for separatism and the establishment of a Sami state. Nevertheless several proposals were made over the years. However, no decision was made, until the present design was chosen in 1986.

The flag of the Sami was adopted at the 13. Nordic Sami Conference in Are (Sweden), where it was hoisted for the first time on 14 August 1986. The Sami Council (an umbrella organization of Sami organizations, of which the Nordic Sami Conference is the supreme representative body) announced a competition for a Sami flag. In response, 27 participants submitted a total of 74 designs. Two proposals were submitted to the Conference for final decision.

The first was the already well known unofficial Sami flag of red, yellow and blue in the proportions 3-1-7. It was designed by Synnove Persen of Porsanger (Norway) in December 1977, and based on colours used by Sami activists in Norway from the 1960s. This flag was widely used, and was a common sight during the protests against the Alta-Kautokeino hydroelectric development project.

Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-OCT-16

Description of the flag

The other, winning design was made by Astrid Bahl of Ivgovuonbahta (Skibotn in Norwegian). This design adds the colour green to the established colours red, yellow, and blue, adding also a circle in blue and red. This design was adopted by unanimous decision of the 13. Nordic Sami Conference. The measurements issued by the Sami Council are:

Overall proportions: 150 x 202 cm
Red 64.5 cm
Green 14 cm
Yellow 14 cm
Blue 109.5 cm
The ring is 8 cm thick, blue near the hoist, red towards the fly, and centred on the dividing line between the green and yellow vertical bands. It is set 27 cm from the bottom of the flag. The distance from the centre to inner border of the circle is 80 cm.

Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-OCT-16

Symbolism of the flag

As for the symbolism, several interpretations have been launched. One is that the colours are those of the Scandinavian flags (if so, the white of Finland is missing), and the ring represents unity (in which case it is appropriate that the ring is 'divided' - just like the land of Sami people). Another version is that the colours are based on the Sami traditional dress, often made in the colours blue, red and yellow (some are mostly white, so this colour is again missing). The ring can be seen as the sun, or the moon, or both. The ring can also be interpreted as the drum of the shaman (this would be controversial in the puritan Lutheran communities of the Sami). I have also seen the colours interpreted as red for fire, blue for water, yellow for air, and green for earth. In this version the circle was seen as the sun.

Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-OCT-16

This is what I found on http://www.luth.se/~lajo/samefl.htm, unfortunaly in Swedish. What I can understand the halfrings of blue and red are to represent moon and sun respectivly. Nothing is said on other colours than they are traditional colours of Sami outfits.

Zeljko Heimer, 1996-FEB-10

Status of the flag

The flag enjoys semi-official status in Norway, and is flown by the 'Sameting' - the (mainly consultative) assembly elected by the Sami people.

Jan Oskar Engene, 1995-OCT-16