Saami move to towns
Nearly four out of ten Saami people in Norway have moved out of traditional Saami areas to a larger town, a new report shows.
The main trend is that people move to the nearest large town, with the Northern Norwegian town of Tromsø as the main target.
Of 22 997 persons (born in Saami areas in the periode 1950 to 1974) that lived in Saami areas when they were 15 years old, 8318 (36 percent) lived in a Norwegian town in 2008. More women (39 %) than men (33 %) moved out of the Saami areas, NRK reports.
22 percent of the people who had moved, went to live in the Northern town of Tromsø. 13 percent moved to the capital of Oslo, the same number went to the Northern towns of Hammerfest and Alta.
The survey will continue with research on the reasons why people decided to move, health and living conditions, language, educations facilities etc. Also children of the Saami that moved to towns will be asked to take part in the survey.
The report is prepared by the Center for Saami Health Research at the University of Tromsø and Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research.
