The Sami People are engaged in a variety of industries and livelihoods
The first depictions of the Sami describe them as hunters. Even after the transition to nomadic reindeer husbandry, which researchers believe to have occurred as early as the 15th to 16th century, hunting has remained an important compliment to reindeer husbandry. This continues to be the case today
Although hunting’s primary function was to provide sustenance, it has also been a part of rituals, and predators were hunted to protect livestock and domesticated animals. Many Sami who own reindeer have also hunted, and still do, though originally many Sami made a living exclusively from hunting, both to provide food and to keep the reindeer’s grazing pastures free from predators.
The Fell Sami, Forest Sami, and Sea Sami
The most well-known and most wide-spread Sami culture is that of the Fell Sami. It is generally this culture that comes to mind when the Sami are mentioned. The Fell Sami are nomadic, and they have traditionally moved great distances with their reindeer herds. They reside in the mountainous fell regions during the summer. They move to the forests or towards the coast, where grazing conditions and vegetation are better, when the winter comes.
In the Swedish and Finnish parts of Saepmie there are some areas inhabited by Forest Sami. Just as the name indicates, the Forest Sami live and work in forested areas. Today the only Forest Sami communities remaining can be found in Lapland, but in the past they were spread over a larger land mass. A number of other regions were also previously inhabited by the Forest Sami. In some of these regions they even payed state property tax. Such communities could be found in northern part of the county of Ångermanland. Documentation from land taxation registers give evidence of property held by Forest Sami as far south as mid-Sweden. The Forest Sami, who likely have a very long history, traditionally made their livelihood from hunting, fishing, and reindeer husbandry. Just like the Fell Sami, the Forest Sami were also nomadic. However, the areas they moved between were not as far-reaching as the Fell Sami.
The Sea Sami culture also has a very long history. Their culture is based in the coastal areas, today predominantly along the northern Norwegian coastline. In the past, around the beginning of the 19th century, the Sea Sami also inhabited the coastal regions in the Norwegian counties of Tröndelag and Helgeland. Reindeer husbandry was not usually the Sea Sami’s main livelihood, but rather hunting, fishing, and farming.