Abstract

This thesis will outline the external identity classification of the Saami in Sweden by the Swedish government, specifically through legislation such as the Reindeer Herding Acts and the Saami Act. By examining written documentation from the last 400 years, I will establish the changes in Saami society that have resulted from the imposed definition of 'Saami' stated in the Reindeer Herding Act (1971) and the Saami Act (1992). These changes have manifested in a cleavage in Saami society, creating two categories or classes of Saami—'reindeer herding Saami' and 'non-reindeer herding Saami.' Many Saami have come to believe that Saami identity is directly linked to legislated rights, and therefore the only 'real' Saami are those who practice reindeer herding. The Saami Act has created a situation where the number of 'Saami' as defined by the Act is decreasing, because of the strictness of the eligibility clause in the Act.

This thesis will also compare and contrast the external identity classification of the Saami in Sweden to that of the First Nations People in Canada (those with 'Indian status'), caused in the latter case by legislation such as the Indian Act and Bill c-31.