Sami revolt in Guovdageaidnu

In the Sami revolt in Guovdageaidnu (Kautokeino in northern Norway) in 1852 a group of Sami attacked representatives for the Norwegian colonizers. The rebels killed the local merchant and police chief, burned the merchants house, whipped the priest, and whipped the servants of the priest and merchant. The rebels were seized by other Sami, during which two of the rebels were killed. Later two of the leaders were executed.

The rebellion is one of the few violent responses from the Sami for the forced assimilation policy enforced by the Norwegian government. It is the only known confrontation between the Sami and Norwegian with loss of human lives. After the rebellion there was a long period lasting until the 1970s with an even stronger forced assimilation of the Sami people in Norway.

ee also

* Kautokeino-opprøret (2008) Sami movie about the 1852 riots.

Notes