ABSTRACT
Can activities originating from traditional industry become a sports discipline and symbolize one Indigenous people? The question stems from the observation of the standing of the reindeer in Sámi, culture, politics, and sports. The reindeer symbolizes the Indigenous people of the North Calotte (the northern part of the Nordic countries, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, as well as the Kola Peninsula of northwestern Russia) – in media coverage, as tourist attraction, in education, etc. Although only approximately 10% of the Sámis are involved in reindeer husbandry, it occurs as vital among “all” Sámi sports actors including sports clubs outside reindeer husbandry areas. Empirically, several observations reinforce each other and the symbolic value of the reindeer-originating sports disciplines: (i) the Norwegian state’s reason for subsidizing Sámi sports is the role as bearers of Sámi tradition and culture; (ii) the Sámi parliament’s focus on reindeer racing – despite small in number of participants – when proposing a new organization for Sámi sport all together; and (iii) interviews of representatives in Sámi sport clubs. In this chapter, I analyze the symbolism of reindeer originating disciplines of Sámi sports. Disciplines originating in reindeer husbandry refer to reindeer racing and lassoing.
