The People Who Lived from the Sea â for Ten Thousand Years
The SĂĄmi population in Varanger has lived along the coast for more than 10,000 years. They are Sea SĂĄmi â a group that differs from the more well-known inland SĂĄmi by basing their lives on the sea, not reindeer. They fished, rowed and gathered along the same fjord edge you see today. Their traces are everywhere, if you know where to look.
Who are the Sea SĂĄmi?
SĂĄmi are Norway's indigenous people, and have lived in SĂĄpmi â the traditional SĂĄmi area stretching across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia â for thousands of years. The SĂĄmi population is not homogeneous: there are mountain SĂĄmi (who practice reindeer herding), forest SĂĄmi and Sea SĂĄmi. The Sea SĂĄmi are those who settled along the coast and lived from fishing, berry picking and hunting.
In Varanger, Sea SĂĄmi culture survived the Norwegianization policy that long attempted to erase the SĂĄmi language and culture. Today, Eastern SĂĄmi and Norwegian are spoken side by side, and there is active revitalization of the language and traditions.
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10,000 years
SĂĄmi settlement along the Varanger coast
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Varangerbotn
Home of Varanger Samiske Museum
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Eastern SĂĄmi
Local SĂĄmi language â near extinction, now revitalized
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February 6
SĂĄmi People's Day
Varanger Samiske Museum
Ăja â Varanger Samiske Museum in Varangerbotn is one of Norway's best cultural history museums. The exhibitions take you through thousands of years of Sea SĂĄmi life: fishing tools, boats, clothes, music and stories. It's not a museum you rush through in an hour â it's a place where you sit down and listen.
The museum has also restored Sea SĂĄmi buildings in an authentic setting, including an old fishing station. In summer, live demonstrations of traditional crafts are arranged.
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Nesseby Church
Nesseby Church from 1858 is idyllically situated on a headland in Varangerfjorden. It is one of the best-preserved wooden churches in Finnmark and a central site in Sea SĂĄmi church history. The surrounding landscape is quiet and beautiful â set aside time to walk out to the church and look out over the fjord.
Living Culture Today
Sea SĂĄmi culture is not just museum and past. In Varanger today there are families who speak Eastern SĂĄmi at home, young people learning joik, and craftspeople making gĂĄmaer (SĂĄmi shoes) and duodji (SĂĄmi crafts) using traditional methods.
February 6 is SĂĄmi People's Day â a national celebration with gatherings, concerts and events throughout SĂĄpmi. In Varanger, this is a warm and inclusive celebration that visitors are warmly welcome to participate in.
Tips for the Cultural Experience
- đď¸Set aside at least 2â3 hours for Ăja â Varanger Samiske Museum. Take a guided tour if available.
- âŞStop by Nesseby Church â parking is free and the walk down to the church takes five minutes.
- đTravel there on February 6 for SĂĄmi People's Day. It's an extraordinary experience.
- đŁď¸Learn a few words in Eastern SĂĄmi. Locals greatly appreciate it.
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