The Sámediggi, the Sami Parliament of Norway, sits on a forested ridge above Karasjok town centre, 35 metres above the river plain. The building was completed in 2000, designed by Stein Halvorsen and Christian Sundby after winning a government architecture competition in 1995. The external walls are clad in Siberian larch that slowly turns silvery grey with age, blending the structure into the surrounding pine forest.
Inside, the plenary hall is shaped like a traditional gamme, a Sami turf hut, while the interior lighting draws inspiration from the night sky and the balustrade railings evoke the northern lights. The parliament represents 39 elected members from seven constituencies and over 14,000 registered Sami voters. King Olav V's signature from the 1989 opening ceremony is on display.
The Parliament's existence is a direct consequence of the Alta controversy of the late 1970s, when protests against a hydroelectric dam on the Alta-Kautokeino river forced Norway to confront its treatment of indigenous rights. Sami activists chained themselves to construction equipment, and a hunger strike was staged outside the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo. The crisis led to the establishment of the Sámediggi in 1989, giving the Sami people an elected political body for the first time in Norwegian history.
Free guided tours run on weekdays during summer, and the building is open to the public even when Parliament is not in session. The library holds over 30,000 volumes, Norway's largest collection on Sami languages and topics, including Donald Duck translated into North Sami under the title Vulle Vuojaš.
Inside, the plenary hall is shaped like a traditional gamme, a Sami turf hut, while the interior lighting draws inspiration from the night sky and the balustrade railings evoke the northern lights. The parliament represents 39 elected members from seven constituencies and over 14,000 registered Sami voters. King Olav V's signature from the 1989 opening ceremony is on display.
The Parliament's existence is a direct consequence of the Alta controversy of the late 1970s, when protests against a hydroelectric dam on the Alta-Kautokeino river forced Norway to confront its treatment of indigenous rights. Sami activists chained themselves to construction equipment, and a hunger strike was staged outside the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo. The crisis led to the establishment of the Sámediggi in 1989, giving the Sami people an elected political body for the first time in Norwegian history.
Free guided tours run on weekdays during summer, and the building is open to the public even when Parliament is not in session. The library holds over 30,000 volumes, Norway's largest collection on Sami languages and topics, including Donald Duck translated into North Sami under the title Vulle Vuojaš.