Essay on being "The Other"-Americans and Sami as outsiders

Below is a short paper I wrote for my Sami class. Thought I'd share it.

          Americans are loud. Sami are uncivil. Americans are always in a hurry. Sami are reindeer herders. Americans are fat. Sami are dumb. Stereotypes are complicated because sometimes they are true. People in general come in a variety of shapes and personalities. There are many different tribes of Sami, including Urban Sami. Likewise there are many states and regions in the United States all with distinct identities and cultures. Some Americans are fat. Some Sami are reindeer herders. Our dog sled guide was surprised at how skinny we all were. Culture plays a role in how a person turns out but to minimize an entire people to a few characteristics diminishes that culture’s rich history, traditions and persons. As much as individuals strive to not judge a person based on nationality or appearance it is almost impossible to avoid. Only until one truly gets to know someone as an individual do stereotypes melt away. Unfortunately, our sometime misguided heuristics influence interactions and limit understanding and communication. Bias has played a role in my experiences so far and it appears to affect the daily life of Sami.

In orientation for the Semester in Sweden it was reiterated that the world views Americans a certain way. As a student ambassador we must always be conscious of our actions and other people’s perceptions of us. In order to fit in in Swedish society I have been acutely aware of what I do and how I am because I am afraid of reinforcing stereotypes. It would be exhausting to live like that in perpetuity, as some of the Sami probably do.

Sadly, not only must the Sami deal with the negative stereotypes of their people, but also they must deal with the apparent lack of interest in them. Swedish society historically and currently gives the Sami the message that they aren’t important enough to pay attention to. For example in school they are not included in the study of Swedish history. It was inspiring to chat with our tour guide for the dogsledding trip. He confirmed that many Swedes know nothing about the Sami or their role in the history of Sweden. But he felt it was unfortunate Swedes are so ignorant. My heart sung a little when he explained how important history is to society. However, like me he believes people even in Sweden disregard it and therefore don’t learn to it. He uses the current growth of social democrat parties in Europe as an example.

If there is any interest in the Sami in Sweden or internationally it is often based upon the stereotypes. For example, just last year in 2014 the city of Umeå used Sami culture in their culture capital of Europe campaign. Sami were used or exploited as an attraction for tourists to come see the exotic indigenous ways. Instead of being passive, the Sami, who now have a more formed identity and political role, used images and other tools to spread the message that this was wrong. Graffiti of a Sami chained to the culture capital symbol summed up their view.

I feel there is a similarity to how the Swedes treat strangers. It appears that culturally the Swedes are shy with people they don’t know, especially foreigners. Walking down the street in America it is common to say hello or at least wave. Here we are ignored. It seems even worse when we are in a larger group, talking loudly in English. The other night we were walking through Jokkmokk and I said hej to a gentleman. He replied with a hej but the look on his face was one of panic and anxiety. People in tourist locations are friendlier such as the museum or the ice bar but we are always spending our money there. When there will be an opportunity to interact more with Swedes, such as at the folk school in Mora, my perception might change.

When I am alone or with one other student it is easier to slip by. At stores when I approach the register the attendant often starts speaking to me in Swedish. My blond hair and blue eyes allow me to blend in. When I respond in English that I cannot speak Swedish they are often friendly. The Sami might have similar experiences because they outwardly don’t appear very different. In America, Native Americans have very distinct features that differ drastically with European descendants. Possibly Swedes are better at determining who is and is not Sami based on physical features. It is also made more complicated because a large portion of the Swedish population has Sami blood thus if there were distinguishing features they are all blended together now.

From the reading and lectures it appears that the Sami have more of a connection or better relationship with other indigenous peoples from around the world including Native Americans and Maori from New Zealand. Most native people have gone through a period of persecution and domination and therefore have a shared experience to bond over. Representatives from the other countries have visited the Sami department at Umeå’s university in order to learn about each other and share experiences and strategies for surviving. In the last fifty or so years there has been great progress globally for indigenous groups. They now have their own seat in the United Nations separate from their host country. The trend seems to be towards more unity and communication with the nation of Sweden now that Sami have international support.

In Sweden I feel in solidarity with many Sami in the sense that we are both fighting these stereotypes. We want to break out to connect with others on a humanistic level. Our tour guide for the dogsledding said something really poignant along the lines that in the wild woods, everyone is equal. Even Kate Moss gets cold. Everyone has to relieve him or herself when they drink too much tea. All Swedes, all Sami, all Americans get cold. We all have families and jobs. We all love and hate. It sounds so simple yet we allow cultural differences to segregate us.