Have you ever considered what it would feel like fighting a war against someone you call your brother? Well the Sami have experienced this trauma and very clearly in World War II. The Sami felt the repercussions of the war. Although they are a very peaceful group of indigenous people, in this particular war they were practically forced to fight for their land rights' and even worse against their own kind. The reason for this is because the Sami are located in four different countries, but together are all known as the Sami. These countries are Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
The Sami came in very handy for this war in Europe; because of their culture they had already known skills passed down from generations that not many people had acquired such as being great skiers and navigating their way around unknown areas/trails. In the war they were used as navigators in long distance patrols. They ended up fighting with other Sami because a long time ago the regions in which the countries were dived was determined and that meant that the Sami were part of that country they lived in. So when their country fought the Sami were pulled into whatever was going on.
The Sami came in very handy for this war in Europe; because of their culture they had already known skills passed down from generations that not many people had acquired such as being great skiers and navigating their way around unknown areas/trails. In the war they were used as navigators in long distance patrols. They ended up fighting with other Sami because a long time ago the regions in which the countries were dived was determined and that meant that the Sami were part of that country they lived in. So when their country fought the Sami were pulled into whatever was going on.
References:
Regering Kansliet
2010 The Sami- An indigenous people
http://www.samer.se/2137
Accessed July 17, 2013
Alehtta (Jessica Johnson)
2005 The Sami and World War II,
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/dieda/hist/wwii.htm,
Accessed July 18, 2013
Reflection: The Sami in history are classified in the stereotype of being peaceful people and if it weren't for the war that each individual country imposed they wouldn't of got in it in the first place. They used agency in this aspect by putting their skills together as an advantage they would use. It was hard for me to comprehend how the Sami could fight their own group of indigenous people. I realized soon after that all the Sami no matter from what country they were from, had to have experienced some form of adaptation to where they lived. Because of that adaptation they developed pride in being a part of that country's culture. Then soon after did not see fighting other Sami as betrayal but defined it themselves through their cultural relativity. I can now see how cultural relativity relates to anthropology and understand that adaptation (culture shock) can have an impact on any group of people. After all they are the same group of people just spread across in four different countries.
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