A Sámi Plait

 In my blog for May 2024, I described the process to plait a flat braid for the end of a bookmark. 

In Sweden, finger weaving is thought to have been introduced to the Swedish people by the Sámi.  Göran Karlholm, in his booklet about Swedish woven bands, found that the techniques are similar. He thought that it was likely that Sámi from a nearby village taught the art of finger weaving or exchanged bands as payment for goods.  Decorative plaiting is a lovely addition to the end of a woven band or belt.

In Kautokino in north Sweden, the  Sámi used two colours in a five strand braid which gives an added dimension to the braid pattern. This type of ending was used for handwoven belts, hat bands and mittens for Sámi women.

Making the decorative plait

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Plaiting in progress

Close up

It is the same procedure as the bookmark flat braid in my earlier blog. There are two moves.  

1. Take the right hand group to the left, over one and under one group.
2. Take the left hand group to the right, over one and under one group.

The  design emerges because of the starting colour order of the five groups of threads. 

The Sámi have a variety of decorative braids in different patterns. These patterns are not new.  If you examine braids from other early cultures you can find some lovely examples.  The delight in the beauty of even small and seemingly insignificant parts of a garment is universal. 

I made a YouTube video to show how to plait. 

Plaiting with five groups of threads.  https://youtu.be/SZt3p87oI68

Susan J Foulkes  September 2024

Sámi in the news

There have been a number of articles in the newspaper in the UK about the Sámi in Sweden.  

Three recent articles from the Guardian newspaper.

Sámi call to protect reindeer in Sweden after 10,000 road deaths in five years

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/09/sami-call-to-protect-reindeer-in-sweden-after-10000-road-deaths-in-five-years?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

‘A lot of collective trauma’: Sweden’s Indigenous Sami people speak to truth commission

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/30/a-lot-of-collective-trauma-swedens-indigenous-sami-people-speak-to-truth-commission?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

In Norway, this process culminated in a report to the government last year. 

Commission exposes injustices against Norway’s Indigenous people

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/01/commission-exposes-injustices-norway-indigenous-people-sami-kvens?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Over the past few years, the History of Anthropology Review has published some very interesting and thought provoking articles about dealing with memoires of harsh assimilation policies and racism towards the indigenous population. 

An article in The Norwegian American, published July 2021 and updated in Febraury 2024,  discusses Bååstede: The Return of Sámi Cultural Heritage.  

https://www.norwegianamerican.com/baastede-the-return-of-sami-cultural-heritage/

After years of negotiation amongst the University of Oslo,  Norwegian Museum of Cultural History and the Sámi Parliament, almost half the 4,200 objects from the Sámi collection in Oslo are being returned to the geographic areas where they were originally created. They will be housed and displayed in one of the country’s many Sámi museums. 

Susan J Foulkes  September 2024