Balancing within various discourses - the art of being old and living as a Sami woman

Abstract

The aim of this part of the Umeå 85+ Study was to explore how indigenous women narrate their lives and their experience of being old as Sami women. Interviews with 9 old Sami women were analyzed using grounded theory. The categories identified were “reindeer as the basis of life”, “longing for significant Sami values”, “feeling valued as a Sami woman”, and “changing for survival”; these evolved into the core category: “balancing within various discourses—the art of being old and living as a Sami woman”. Knowing how to balance provided the ability to make use of available opportunities.