Bjornar Olsen

Hunters in Transition provides a new outline of the early history of the Sami, the indigenous population of northernmost Europe. Discussing crucial issues such as the formation of Sami ethnicity, interaction with chieftain and state societies, and the transition from hunting to reindeer herding, the book departs from the common trope whereby native encounters with other cultures, state societies, and "modernity", are depicted mainly in negative terms. Far from always victimizing "the other", the interaction with outside societies played a crucial role in generating and maintaining a number of features considered integral to Sami culture. At the same time the authors also emphasize internal processes and dynamics and show how these have greatly contributed to the diverse historical trajectories with which this book is concerned.Listed by Choice magazine as one of the Outstanding Academic Titles of 2014