A Sporting Nation: Creating Sámi Identity through Sport

Sport and identity are closely interrelated; sport creates sport. This is also the case in development of Sámi sport, as Indigenous population north Finland, Sweden Norway has used to contribute (re)building for over 40 years. sporting been based on an essentialized past, portraying culture being indistinguishably linked reindeer husbandry culture. By deploying sports such racing, lasso throwing cross-country skiing, association painted a picture Sáminess unique distinctly different from Norwegian identity. Gayatri Spivak uses term strategic essentialism explain how people minority groups can create use specific historical traits traditions their political struggle recognition self-respect. example Spivak’s theory – movement deployed greater self-esteem amongst promote rights. The developed across (at least) three intertwined dimensions: ethnic dimension, national dimension indigenous dimension.