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I recently visited the land of the Sami, the colorfully clad nomadic indigenous people of Arctic Scandinavia. I came away with great love and respect for and fascination with their culture, which has endured more than its share of hard knocks. OTL, the Sami were largely peaceful reindeer herders, scattered and disunited, who were, over the course of centuries, gradually conquered and subjected to the degradation of imperialism by the more warlike Norse of Norway and Sweden (and to an extent the Russians of Novgorod). But what if, sometime after the start of the Viking age (POD ~800 at the earliest; the later it happens, the better and more fun), a brilliant, ruthless leader arose who, through diplomacy and war, united the fractured Sami tribes?

There are some major challenges going forward. A united Sapmi could likely have conducted a successful guerrilla war if they put their minds to it, resisting and perhaps even reversing colonization efforts; I do wonder, however, how feasible it is for this Sami state to hold together after the founder's death. The best case scenario for staying on the defensive is probably something like Lithuania, where a tribal kingdom eventually grew into a feudal state; however, with lower population, a stubbornly nomadic lifestyle (to this day many Sami are nomads), and a vast land area, this state's durability seems questionable.

Going on the offensive, meanwhile, also presents challenges. In open battle, even a united Sami state might have a difficult time facing a stronger, better-armed feudal kingdom; reindeer cavalry, much as I'd love it, probably isn't super feasible (though the Sami did have a significant archery culture, something that historically seems to have come in handy in ambushes against the more melee-oriented Norse, and might likewise lead to success in open battle if employed en masse). The best bet would be to give the Sami the good luck to unify at a time of weakness for the southerners. One idea I had is perhaps attacking Norway when it is weakened from the black plague; OTL Norway never truly demographically recovered from said plague and eventually lost its independence at least partially as a result. The victorious Sami, akin to the Mongols, might eventually adopt the feudal lifestyle of their subjects while continuing to rule over them and, unlike the Mongols, eventually gain demographic supremacy (perhaps conquest of better land results in at least some degree of Sami migration away from the harsh Arctic and into the conquered territory). Alternatively they might continue in nomadism, eventually losing their conquests but remaining in a much stronger position for future survival.

This, then, is the challenge: have the Sami at least survive through to the modern era as a unified nation. Preferably, have them attack and at least temporarily take a major chunk out of (or even outright conquer) Norway, Sweden/Finland, Novgorod, or, if you're feeling bold, all the above. Bonus points for keeping the Sami pagan as long as possible, and for getting as many unique Sami traditions as possible (such as their style of wordless singing, the joik, which OTL was banned for many years as "pagan devilry") to survive the probably inevitable conversion. Additional bonus points for later PODs; the later one goes, the harder this gets.
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