Peoples of Lapland

The nineteenth century saw the closure of frontiers in the multicultural peripheral regions of northern Europe. This study analyses the demarcations of physical and cultural borders that were made in the area and the networks of interaction that existed there. In particular, ethnic relations within the population constituted a source of tension in the history of the region. The work demonstrates that the frequently used dichotomy "pioneer settlers vs Saamis" employs scientificaly incommensurable terms: "pioneer settler" refers to an occupational group, "Saami" to an ethnic one.