The Sámi

The Sámi are the only recognised indigenous people in the area of the European Union. The status of the Sámi as an indigenous people is confirmed in the Constitution of Finland.

Approximately 10,000 Sámi live in Finland. The Sámi homeland comprises the municipalities of Enontekiö, Inari and Utsjoki as well as the northern part of the municipality of Sodankylä, i.e. the area of the reindeer herding cooperative of Lapland. However, more than 60% of Sámi live outside the Sámi homeland.

In total, depending on the calculation method, there are between 75,000 and 100,000 Sámi in the world. The Sámi have already lived in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland as well as inner parts of the Kola Peninsula before the current state borders formed. This area is referred to as Sápmi (Sápmi in Northern Sámi, Säämi in Inari Sámi and Sää’mm in Skolt Sámi).

Sámi people’s language and cultural rights as indigenous people and their cultural autonomy are protected in the Constitution of Finland, in the Act on the Sámi Parliament, in the Non-Discrimination Act, and through international human rights agreements.

Sámi languages 

Three Sámi languages are spoken in Finland: Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi and Skolt Sámi. All Sámi languages spoken in Finland are classified as endangered.

Northern Sámi is the largest of the Sámi languages in terms of area and number of speakers. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 people speak it in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The number of Northern Sámi speakers in Finland is estimated to be approximately 2,000.

Inari Sámi has traditionally been spoken around Lake Inarijärvi. The number of Inari Sámi speakers is estimated to be around 400. The number of speakers is increasing steadily thanks to long-term language revitalisation efforts. Inari Sámi is the only Sámi language spoken only in Finland.

Skolt Sámi has traditionally been spoken in Russia in the Kola Peninsula and the areas bordering it in Finland and Norway. Today, most Skolt Sámi speakers live in the municipality of Inari in Finland. According to estimates, Skolt Sámi has approximately 300 speakers in Finland.

The Sámi and THL

The Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare signed a historic cooperation agreement in November 2023. The objective of the cooperation agreement is to promote the health and wellbeing of the Finnish Sámi population. 

Concrete measures are defined in annual cooperation negotiations.

The purpose of the cooperation agreement is to promote the health and wellbeing of the Sámi population as part of the statutory duty of the institute to promote the health and wellbeing of the Finnish population.

Cooperation contributes to the UN objectives on the rights of indigenous peoples as expressed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.

The Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare strengthen cooperation on Sámi issues (in Finnish)

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