Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway have sent special greetings to the Sami minority in Norway on the occasion of the Sami National Day or Sami People’s Day.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway took the opportunity to congratulate the Sami minority living in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The royals said: “Congratulations on your National Day everyone. We wish you a wonderful celebration on this important day.”
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess also participated in the Norwegian television channel NRK’s special national day programme, which was broadcast on the evening of 6 February. There they shared their memories of visits to the Sami areas of the Norwegian kingdom.
Crown Prince Haakon said on the programme: “There are several who say that they are Sami; there has been a development in the last 10-20 years. Being Sami becomes a more important part of the identity. I think that is very good. Many people our age have said that they were embarrassed to be Sami when they were younger. However, today it is a completely different time. That development is very important for our society.”
Several special memories appeared when Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit met NRK in their home at the Skaugum Estate. When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess got married almost 21 years ago, they received Sami jackets as a gift from the Sami people.
As a little girl, the Crown Princess was exposed to the unique Sami traditions. Crown Princess Mette-Marit also got a Sami toy that she fell in love with as a child. The Crown Prince Couple’s children have also played with it.
The Sami National Day was adopted by the Sami Conference in 1992 and is marked by those in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. It was celebrated for the first time the following year, which coincided with the UN’s opening of the International Indigenous Year in Karasjok.
