Elsa Laula Renberg

Elsa Laula Renberg (née Elsa Laula, November 29, 1877 in Tärnaby – July 22, 1931 in Brønnøy) was a Sámi activist and politician. She was born to reindeer herders, Lars Thomasson Laula and Kristina Josefina Larsdotterb and grew up near Dikanäs. After receiving training school in Tukholma as a midwife, she returned home to live near Dikanäs. In 1908, she married reindeer herder, Thomas Renberg. Together, they moved to Vefsn in Nordland, Norway and had 6 children together. Elsa died at the age of 54 of tuberculosis in Brønnøy.

Life or death

In 1904, Renberg wrote and published a 30-page book entitled "Infør lif eller död? Sanningsord i de Lappska förhållandena" ("Do we face life or death? Words of truth about the Lappish situation") making her the first Sámi woman to have her writings published.fact|date=October 2007 Her work discusses several issues that were facing the Sámi, such as their education system, their right to vote, and their right to own land.

References

*Northern Sámi|Elsa Laula Renberg|7-16-2007
* [http://www.worlib.org/vol12no1/hirvonen_v12n1.shtml The Pioneers: Elsa Laula And Karin Stenberg, The First Sámi Woman Writers]
* [http://www.samediggi.fi/vanha/oktavuohta/en/kaindex5.htm Elsa Laula Renberg - the mother of Sámi cooperation]