The Sami, Elizabeth Warren and Random DNA

The Sami are the reindeer herders of Northern Scandinavia.  They are native to Norway, Sweden, Finland and the adjacent areas of Russia.  They total only about 80,000 people and almost half of them live in Norway.  Early pictures of them show a people with gently Asian features, though modern Sami tend to resemble their fellow Scandinavians more rather than less. Their language is a part of the Uralic linguistic group (think Hungarian and Finnish) but has no relationship to Norwegian.  They speak in dialects, rather than one, unified language.

            In many ways the Sami mirror the Native Americans of the New World.  They prefer their traditional lives (hard as they are).  Their clothing is colorful, multi-layered and reminiscent of the Inuit.  Traditional homes are small, primitive and functional.  Tents are not unknown.  Their artistic forms are primarily expressed in the decoration of clothes and useful objects.   Musical expression is in the form of chants where the sounds reflect the qualities of the animals or activities the Sami are singing about. 

The Sami earn their living as herders, farmers, and through fishing and hunting.  These are low profit enterprises.  When the Sami move to the cities their job choices are limited by their education and life skills, which means they tend to work in service industries and other low paying areas.

            I have just listed information about language, art, occupation and life style.  Collectively we call these things “culture.”  They are strong influences in shaping the psyche of individuals and the ethos of a society. 

            I am part Sami. 

            When I took part in the National Geographic’s Human Genome Project I was surprised to find that I was.   True, I am half Norwegian.  Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers were Norwegian immigrants.  But the Sami (they were called Laplanders back in my grandparent’s day) were never mentioned as part of our past.  I look like the central casting version of a Scandinavian.  Light hair, blue eyes and skin that does not tan, but rusts when exposed to the sun.  Yet there is the DNA showing a U5 Haploid marker that broke off from the massive movement of humans out of Africa and became the Sami.  Neither is this an insignificant “trace” element in my heritage.  I am much more Sami than Elizabeth Warren is Native American.

            Yet Elizabeth Warren has chosen to exploit her miniscule Native American ancestry for her own gain, and that makes her a user.  She knew that if she ticked the right boxes, Harvard would be happy to have a Native American on their lists, especially when you need to complete the diversity team!  The shallowness and bigotry of this manipulation is obnoxious.  It reeks.   It should be embarrassing for both Warren and Harvard, but evidently their hubris blinds them to their shame.

            I would never try to curry favor with one group by claiming my tiny Sami blood gave me purchase as a minority.  Nor would I imply that I have “street cred” because “I am one of you” based on a sperm and egg combination that happened between people who I know only through history. You only play the victim card when you think the rest of your hand won’t pass a close examination. 

I would never (!!!) list myself as Sami in an attempt to gain access to a job, educational advantage or political identity.   

            Why?  Because I have not earned the right to call myself Sami.  I have not lived their life, learned their lessons or sung their song.   

            Live on your own merit, show some respect and keep the faith.