Sámi natural resource exploitation in a markebygd and its significance today?

Abstract

<i>Introduction</i>: In my investigation (Storm 1990) of the markebygd of Rásmirvuovdi/Gressmyrskogen on the island of Sážžá/Senja in the province of Romssa/Troms, I have reconstructed the settlement process from 1700 to 1900 AD. The focus was on the practice of Sámi resource exploitation – which resources and resource areas were used, and how the land was exploited – and what kind of Sámi settlements were connected to the different land-use patterns. By way of an introduction, I will discuss the concept of a Sámi coastal settlement, for which I have chosen to use the Norwegian word markebygd as a technical term , and its position in relation to Sámi resource exploitation. I will point out the method by which these different economic adaptations can be studied over a period of two hundred years. This investigation forms a base from which one can work both synchronically and diachronically. At the moment, I am continuing the investigation, concentrating upon the resource exploitation patterns over the last century. As a conclusion, I will present some perspectives on the significance of documenting Sámi land use in a specific area.