Talk:Sámi Americans

What are the sources for the celebrities listed here?
For example, Matt Damon. His mother had both a Finnish and a Swedish last name. Are we assuming that she was Sámi based on this alone? Sweden has a large population of Finns and Finnish Swedes, which would be a more logical conclusion of his ancestry if we are simply to judge by his mother's surnames. I propose that we try to find link sources that support the claim to Sámi ancestry, or remove the names when we can't find them. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Frakkler (talk • contribs) 22:50, 2 February 2021 (UTC)


 * Additionally, I dove into the source for Joni Mitchell and found that it's in this interview: " She thinks her ancestors were probably Sami — “a native population that follows the reindeer herds up above the Scandinavian countries. They’re the European Eskimos, but they have very high cheekbones” — though the idea appalled her father, who was “bigoted against Indians.” "

In Renée Zellweger's case it gets more complicated, as several sources are linked, most speaking of her mother as Norwegian, and one of them in Finnish which is behind a paywall, where they quote Edward Dutton, a Professor of Finnish Culture at Oulu University in Finland. The quote is from the Daily Mail so we can read it in English here-

The professor says: "'With a Swiss father and a mother who is part Kven and part Sami - ethnic minorities Indigenous to Norway, Finland and Sweden - Renee had a somewhat "eastern" face.'" Where has the professor gotten the information that she is Kven and Sámi? I ask because in another sentence the same article reads: "Mr Dutton compares this eastern narrow-eyed look to that of Icelandic singer Björk - whose ancestry is thought to be Inuit." Who thinks Björks ancestry is Inuit? This all looks like third party unsubstantiated claims to me. Does that really suffice? Frakkler (talk) 23:21, 2 February 2021 (UTC)


 * Actually still researching this just because I am curious. In the book "Vigilant Ancestor: A World of Secrets Whispered in My Ear" a passage refers to Joni's own website stating that she isn't Sami. ″She used to tell of her paternal grandfather, who came from the Lofoten Islands in Norway as having Sami blood. However, with the help of several Norwegian genealogists with a familiarity of the families in the Nordland region in Norway, Joni reports through her website that they concluded she is not of Sami lineage.″

I still haven't found good sources for the rumor that Renee Zellweger is Sami. Her mother, Kjellfrid Irene Andreassen, is described as "Norwegian-born former nurse and midwife, of Norwegian, Kven (Finnish), and Swedish descent" on her IMDB profile. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Frakkler (talk • contribs) 20:08, 20 June 2021 (UTC)