Finnish Sami Celebrate National Day
Sunday is Sami National Day. Celebrations started in the northern town of Sodankylä with a traditional flag raising ceremony.
Other events are being staged across Finnish Lapland including church services and special markets. Finnish Sami culture is a the subject of three exhibitions in the community of Siida.
The Sami National Day has been celebrated since 2004. Its historic origins date back to 1917 when the first Sami Congress was held in Trondheim, Norway. This was the first time Sami people from different parts of the Nordic region came together to find solutions to common problems.
Over 8,000 Sami people reside in Finnish Lapland.
