The Sami people don't have an easy life in Norway. They encounter hate speech and are also the target of hate entries on the Internet. There are also various conspiracy theories around them, and according to some of them they concern the secret agreement of the Sami parliament with the Norwegian government, whose main goal is to take over the northern lands of Norway.
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An attempt to return to the old hierarchy
According to Aili Keskitalo, president of the Sami community, such behavior is an attempt to restore a long-gone hierarchy. In the north of Norway, the Sami were once the poorest social class. The growing importance of this community and the equality of all Norwegian groups do not appeal to some of the Norwegians living in the northern part of the country.
Limited freedom of expression
The level of hate speech and a general disrespectful attitude limits freedom of expression. As Aili Keskitalo claims, the intensity of hate is so serious that some representatives of the Sami community give up the opportunity to participate in public debates.
"They seek to seize the lands!"
Mikkel Berg-Nordlie is a researcher of the Sami culture. On his Twitter account, he started collecting examples of hate speech against the native people of Norway. He observed a pattern of such behavior, based on all sorts of conspiracy theories. For example, the Samom are accused of organizing an alleged secret meeting in 1945 to devise a long-term plan to take over the country's northern lands. They are also accused of concluding secret agreements with the Norwegian government.
The farther south you go, the greater your reluctance
The researcher also observed a geographical dependence in the approach to the Sami. Most people in the northern lands of Norway have a positive or neutral attitude towards them. However, the farther south we go, the more contemptible there is in treating this culture. However, this is a small group of people who, however, gain unnecessary publicity as a result of their actions.
Who are the Sami?
The Sami are indigenous people living in the northern regions of Europe. The area of their settlement currently covers the territories of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. Customarily this territory is called Sapmi. Geographically, the Sami people live in Fennoscandia, including the Finnish-Karelian Intermarium with two peninsulas - the Scandinavian and the Korel.
The Sami are distinguished not only by their separate culture and costumes. There are also significant differences in the language they use on a daily basis. They also have their own parliament that represents their interests before the governments of other countries. The city of Karasjok is considered to be their capital, and reindeer breeding is a customary and traditional occupation.
