Sápmi i dåtid och nutid : en begreppsanalys av Sápmi i svenskspråkiga sammanhang 1600 – 2020

Sammanfattning: The sami word Sápmi is a concept that seems to have become further used within texts written in Swedish, and this study aims to distinguish if it has become more common to use, when the concept of Sápmi generally began to be used within texts written in Swedish and how the word has been used. This study is further in-depth than previous studies. The source material consists of texts written in Swedish concerning the sami, their life conditions and land linked to the sami. The source material that has been used has been published between 1600 – 2020. There is interest in what meaning the concept has within these texts, and to distinguishing if there over time has been a change to the concepts usage and what meaning the concept holds. The chosen method is conceptual historical analysis. This study relies on Doreens Massey’s theory of place, and Penrose’s theory of territoriality. The first theory emphasizes that places are asserted identities and can be important to many people, on a global scale; however, they are constantly in a process of change. The second theory, describes the usage of territoriality, which derives from the need of turning a place into a ‘homeland’ and creating boarders between ‘we’ and ‘them’ in order to gain or regain control. During the period of investigation Sápmi is initially used scarcely and if it is used it is mentioned and translated to the sami people, or being sami. The analysis of the texts shows that isn’t until the 20th century that Sápmi becomes further used within texts written in swedish. And it isn’t until the beginning of the 21st century that Sápmi begins being used regularly by authors and scholars. The usage of Sápmi increases during the 1980s in Swedish written texts when the sami ethnopolitical movement moved into a more active phase, spurring the need of using a sami word, moreover greatly connected to the sami land and people. During the 20th century, Sápmi, along with being further used, also seems to shift from being used mainly when referring to the sami people, to being used mainly to refer to the sami ancestral lands, in texts written in Swedish.