Sámi Ethnic Religion

This paper goes over the changes of the Sámi ethnic religion by the indigenous people in northern Fennoscandia. How a group of researchers started an excavation of the Sámi traditions, livelihood, and society changed over time with syncretistic influences when Christian came in the northern Fennoscandia area. Where Christians built churches next to the Sámi sacred offering stones. How Christians and the Sámi people connected with one another having a long term interactions. How Christians influences changed Sámi from their interactions with one another.

A group of researchers in 2008 started excavating of the sacred offering stone sites in Kittlä Taatsi to understand the traditions and ways of these indigenous people. They expected to find

Ritualistic acts can eventuality change the human thought and add new meaning. Rituals are a key components of religion .Some have argued the ritual acts are modify the human thought and meaning to rituals. The Sa'mi traditions are based on ideas and communication between human and spirit. Spirits are believed to interwoven in the world around humans. Human's communicated with the spirits of dwelling places or while hunting. The Sámi people would go to a dwelling area (the sacred stone offering sites) making offering to the spirits connecting with them, as a sense of livelihood. The offerings were animals, such as reindeer, fish, birds, bears, and elk. There were also human items offered; in addition to animals, including alcohol, porridge, tobacco, personal objects, and utensils. Items offered varied depending on geographical areas. Research figured there findings would be the same through the seven sacred sites. Surprisingly different sites lacked animals, metals, and personal objects. This is because Sámi people lived in forests, lakes, or mountain areas. Items offered varied depending on geographical

Sámi people still trade, interact, and respect the Christian ways. Christian and tourist still visit these sacred offering stones. People bring offerings to the old gods and showing respect to the Sámi traditions. This tradition were passed down from generation of generation, the local tradition might go hand in hand. Religion changes when other religions interconnect with social structure, trading, tradition, and people of different cultures come together. Archaeological excavations at the Sámi offering place and Christian churches changed and connected over time. Livelihood, religion, and society causes the ways to change. Syncretistic influence are not just from Christianity or the ethnic pagan way of the Sámi people. These ways happen around the