Sami religion and spirituality have historically been devalued and portrayed by the Church of Sweden as paganism, superstition, devilry and idolatry incompatible with the Christian faith.
They are part of our way of life and our living conditions, which are strongly linked to our traditional use of land and natural resources in Sápmi.
Life in harmony with nature is spiritual
These lands and the nature are our home in which our identity, memories, culture, sacred places, spirituality, livelihoods and language have been shaped and
sustained over millennia. Our way to live in close harmony with the land and nature is to live spiritually.
In our spiritual tradition, prayer and blessing are part of our daily lives in the sense that we place our daily work in God’s hands. It reminds us of God’s presence in all that we do and of God’s care for us and for our responsibility to manage our lands/our home for the next generation.
Sami religion is part of the Christian faith
In our tradition, prayer and blessing are always linked to good deeds and to gratitude and to being part of God’s Creation. Sami religion and spirituality are part of the Christian faith – if the Church of Sweden is prepared to acknowledge this.