Yoik Pressed along the lip of the lávvu, our bodies were rocks around a fire pit. Tarpaulin crinkled under our shuffling. Smoke overhead curled into the pinnacle of this conical tent, tonguing a hunk of reindeer leg hung from the forked poles, freshly slaughtered for a herder’s birthday. By Gwynfryn Thomas, from the poem Yoik
Sámi National Day on February 6 is a cultural celebration for the Sámi people. On this day in 1917, the first Sámi congress took place in Trondheim, Norway. The national holiday is also called ‘Samenes Nasjonaldag.’ The Sámi people, or ‘Urbefolkning’ in Norwegian, are indigenous people who live mainly in Norway, but also in Finland, Russia, and Sweden.