Saami and Komi-izhemtsy of Lovozero: forming of images of indigenous people and newcomers

The article is dedicated to the ethnic images of Saami and Komi-Izhemtsy of Lovozero, Murmansk region. We believe that images were shaped by the notions about indigenous people and newcomers as well as those notions were determined by the ethnic images. Our goal was to analyze factors that had affected the ethnic images, to analyze factors that impact on the sustainability and transformation of these images. In this article we used publications of the beginning of the 20th century which contain information about Saami - Komi relationships. We also used field data collected in Lovozero during the expeditions in 2011, 2016, characterizing contemporary situation. The research is based on qualitative methodology: interviews with ethnic activists, staff from education and culture, semi-structured interviews with the students of college. Till the end of 19th century Lovozero was typical Saami village (pogost). In the middle of 1890th first houses of the Izhemtsy were built here. Izhma Komi moved to the Kola Peninsula with their reindeer herds in 1887 from Pechora region because of heavy diseases that caused massive loss of deer. Formation of the images of indigenous (Saami) and newcomers (Izhemtsy) had resulted from some objective differences in culture of these ethnic groups (traditional buildings, traditional clothes, economy). These differences were more pronounced in the beginning of the 20th century. We argue that the conflict between indigenous and newcomers, resulting from competition for recourses, is still a pivotal motive in oral narratives about relationships between Saami and Izhemtsy. Forming of the ethnic images was particularly affected by the fact that these groups had competed in the same cultural space (reindeer herding), as well as that Saami become economically dependent on migrants. The reindeer herding, as an important element of the traditional economic activities of Saami and Izhemtsy, had a decisive influence on the ethnic images of these ethnic groups. Nowadays the ideas about “progressive” nature of the Izhma methods of reindeer herding and “backwardness” of the Saami ones have undergone considerable revision under the influence of social, economic and political factors (economic changes of the post-soviet period, support for “traditional Sami ethnic methods of reindeer herding” by foreign organizations). We also note that today published texts on history and ethnography have a certain impact on formation of ethnic images.

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