As the saying goes, “Lappland’s summer is short, but with less snow”. From June to October there is almost no snow at all, just some remain in the highest shadowy places in the North where even the midnight sun won’t reach. During the summer, the temperature can rise up to about 30 C (80 F) and in the winter it can be something like -50 C (-58 F), though it usually stays at between 0 and -35 C (32 and -31 F).

The Sami people do not have an independent state or own laws, even though they do have certain extra rights connected to the use of state lands and so. There are Sami in the areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. They are free to move over the borders at any chosen point in the Nordic countries – or, rather, at any point the reindeer have chosen.

The Sami Parliament also has a strong say in all matters connected to their lives and those of the people living up North. In addition to the national Sami Parliaments, there are also held Nordic Sami Parliament meetings where things connected to all of the people are discussed. They are active not only in matters about their own lives, but also on all native people related things.

The Finnish main populace sometimes does treat the Sami as drunks, I do admit that, but that is only done right next to the main population itself described as such.. I live here and have seen under half a dozen TV programs showing a drunk Sami person – and some hundreds of those taking the irony from the Finns being the drunk ones..

It is a sad fact, though, that unemployment hits the hardest in the Northern Finland – the probability of seeing drunksters up in Lappland is even bet..well, worse in there. The effect is the worst in the traditional ways of life – for example, they are both the Sami and “mainland Finns” that have found it hard to live by herding reindeers and chosen the bottle as the alternative nowadays..