Episode 1 | Introduction to Sami

Land Acknowledgement: Pacific Sámi Searvi is headquartered in what is now known as Seattle, Washington, which is unceded Duwamish Land. This podcast was recorded in what is now known as Sandpoint, Idaho which is unceded Kalispel and Ktunaxa land.

In this episode we introduce the podcast “Rájehis Sápmi” or Borderless Sápmi. The title Rájehis Sápmi evokes the image of a migratory people who have never been contained by imperialist borders. These people include Sámi descendents, Sámi Americans, Sámi Canadians and other Sámi people in the diaspora.

The Sámi are one people among four nations. The majority of Sámi live in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Sápmi, our ancestral land, stretches over northern Scandinavia to the Kola Peninsula. The Sámi are an Indigenous people whose culture is directly connected to the land they have lived on and been the caretakers of since time immemorial.

Various factors influenced Sámi to move to the Midwest and Pacific Northwest of what's now known as the United States and Canada. It has been estimated that there are 30,000 people of Sámi ancestry living in North America. The Pacific Sámi Searvi was created to bring together people in the diaspora, and embrace our culture and community. Our mission at the Pacific Sámi Searvi is to honor, cultivate, and expand understanding of Sámi culture, heritage, and contemporary issues.

Our goal with this podcast is to introduce you to Sámi culture and history, and to Indigenous issues across the globe. We hope that you’ll join us in learning, sharing, and exploring what it means to be Sámi and Indigenous.

Learn more at https://www.pacificsami.org/ or email us at pacificsamisearvi@gmail.com.