Sámi, also written as Sami, Saami

Sámi are the only indigenous people within the area of European Union. Sámiland is the core region inhabited by the Sámi, extending across vast areas in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. In Finland, Sámi Homeland includes the municipalities of Enontekiö, Inari and Utsjoki and the northern part of the municipality of Sodankylä, that is, the area around Vuotso village. Thus, Sámiland covers the northernmost part of Finland, that is, the Sámi Homeland only. In other words, County of Lapland in Finland is not the same as Sámi Homeland or Sámiland.

In Finland, the rights of the Sámi to their culture, including the tangible and the intangible cultural heritage, are guaranteed by the Constitution of Finland, and are also protected by the Constitution on linguistic and cultural self-government. Nine of the ten Sámi languages are still spoken in Sámiland. Three of these are spoken in Finland: Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi and North Sámi.