There is a good reason why we can’t pin down where Lapland actually is, and it has nothing to do with Santa Claus. It’s because these are homelands of the semi nomadic Sámi people for whom borders have long been as fluid as the melting snow. This region, stretching across Northern Finland, Sweden and Norway, is called Sápmi in the Sámi language, translated as Lapland, although the term Lapp or Lappish is considered derogatory these days. In Finnish Lapland the Sámi languages became official in 1991 with three main ones, Northern, Skolt and Inari.
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I couldn't get over the fact that there were over 3,000 islands in and around Lake Inari, many with incredible Sámi history. I'm not spiritual, but this silent, snow covered place moved me greatly.
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There are 9.300 Sámi people in Finnish Lapland and their culture, lifestyles and spiritual connection with wilderness is what life is all about here. So don’t thank Santa for vast forests, remote lakes and traditional cabins with transparent roofs that look up to the Aurora. Thank the Sámi who have been the real stewards for generations. The Sámi word for ‘thank you,’ by the way, is giitu (pronounced ‘kiihtu’).
