This thesis is an ethnological study of young Sami living in Sweden. The aim is to describe and analyse different ways of being Sami today and discuss the historical terms of creating identities Reindeer grazing legislation have influenced the informants’ rights within the Sami people and their identity is based on their social and material terms. Membership in a reindeer herding district is important to the informants and they use different ethnic strategies to reach their memberships. Some informants use the political arena while other informants tries to obtain their membership by being invited by all ready existing members. Some informants are influenced by their alienation through the different legislative acts and their families have created a Sami culture based on other values and norms, different from the other informants in this study. They are acutely aware of their own history and use that history in all conversations. The symbolic side of ethnicity becomes more obvious within the reindeer herding communities. The informants of this group acquire the cultural competence which is necessary through their upbringing. The children of the reindeer herders participate and are included in the daily labour of reindeer husbandry and thus are incorporated in the group and learn which norms and values are important within their community. Difficulties occur when traditional terms collide with the modern society. What sometimes seems irrational within this group is explained by using Højrups Lifeform theory. Gender is also an important factor since the informants are expected to act differently and to choose different paths in their lives based upon gender. In a modern society increasingly more fragmented and where identity becomes a personal project can the ethnic togetherness with its clearly defined boundaries be tempting for searching individuals. But questions of who is Sami are brought to a head. An ethnocentrism becomes obvious where different Sami individuals are differently valued. The informants different Sami heritage have resulted in their sometimes being so apart from each other that it may be concluded that they are different kinds of Sami.

The following thesis examines the process of identity making in the novels Stolen (2021) by Ann-Helén Laestadius and Polar Fire (2021) by Moa Backe Åstot. By a comparative thematic analysis of the texts, and through concepts from postcolonial and decolonial theory, the thesis investigates the challenges for two Sámi youths in a contemporary Sápmi setting as they try to renew the image of Saminess. The analysis explores how aspects such as indigeneity, strategic essentialism, gender and sexuality influence the young characters Elsa and Ánte in their attempts to become independent reindeer herders. Elsa and Ánte are constantly reminded of the history and traditions of the Sámi people, which is filled with both pride and shame. Indeed, the thesis also takes into account the history of the Swedish church and the Swedish government's involvement in Sámi societies, such as the Sámi boarding schools that resulted in family separations and loss of language, and reindeer herding regulations that still affect the Sámi community today. The analysis concludes that history, government policies and strict interpretations of Sámi traditions are interwoven with contemporary Sámi culture, and thus affects the young protagonists as they try to navigate between the inherited collective struggle of their ancestors and their individual needs when it comes to shaping their own Sámi identity.