View source for Gákti

{{Short description|Piece of traditional Sámi clothing}}
[[File:Sami female traditional costume collar with silver.jpg|thumb|A [[goldwork (embroidery)|goldwork]] [[collar (clothing)|collar]] of a traditional [[Sami people|Sámi]] woman's gákti. This gákti has a metal [[embroidery]] collar with [[pewter]] or [[silver]] thread and traditional Sámi silver [[buckle]]s.]]
[[File:Sami Metal Embroidery Male Collar Aasele Sweden 1920.jpg|thumb|A pattern of a [[goldwork (embroidery)|metal embroidered]] collar for a traditional male Sámi gákti from Åsele, [[Västerbotten]], [[Sweden]]. The metal thread most commonly used for the embroidery is [[Pewter]].]]
[[File:Costumes Saami.jpg|thumb|Two Finns dressed up in fake [[gakti|gákti]] outside of [[Rovaniemi]], [[Finland]]. Though at first glance authentic to non-Saami people, the patterns on these gáktis are not traditional anywhere in [[Sápmi (area)|Sapmi]].]]
'''{{lang|se|Gákti}}''' is the Northern Sámi word used by non-Sámi speakers to refer to many different types of traditional [[clothing]] worn by the [[Sami people|Sámi]] in northern areas of [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Finland]] and the [[Kola Peninsula]] in [[Russia]]. The gákti is worn both in [[ceremony|ceremonial]] contexts and while working, particularly when herding [[reindeer]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} The traditional Sami outfit is characterized by a dominant color adorned with bands of contrasting colours, [[Braid|plaits]], [[pewter]] embroidery, [[tin]] art, and often a high [[collar (clothing)|collar]]. In the [[Norwegian language]] the garment is called a 'kofte', and in [[Swedish language|Swedish]] it is called 'kolt'.
==Characteristics==
The colours, patterns and decorations of the costume can signify a person's marital status and geographical origin. There are different gákti for women and men; men's gáktis are shorter at the hem than women's. Traditionally the gákti was made from reindeer skin, but in modern times, wool, cotton or silk are more common. The gákti can be worn with a belt (pleated, quilted or with silver buttons), silver jewellery, traditional leather footwear and a silk scarf. Traditionally, if the buttons on the belt are square, it shows the wearer is married. If they are round, the person is unmarried. If a married couple divorce, and the ex-husband still continues to use the Sami costume made by his ex-wife, he states by this that he wants her back. {{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}
== In other Sámi languages ==
"Gákti" is the [[Northern Sami language|Northern Sámi]] term for the clothing. The following terms in other Sami languages do not refer to the Northern Sami gákti, but their own clothing:
'''[[Southern Sami language|South Sámi:]]''' {{lang|sma|gaeptie}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gtweb.uit.no/cgi-bin/smi/smi.cgi?text=gaeptie&pos=N&mode=full&action=paradigm&lang=sma&plang=sma |title=gaeptie: Substantiv (N) |language=no |website=gtweb.uit.no |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref>{{lang|sma|/gapta/gåptoe}}
'''[[Ume Sami language|Ume Sámi:]]''' {{lang|sju|gápttie}}
'''[[Pite Sami language|Pite Sámi:]]''' {{lang|sje|gáppte, gåppto}}
'''[[Lule Sami language|Lule Sámi:]]''' {{lang|smj|gáppte/gábdde}}
'''[[Inari Sámi language|Inari Sámi:]]''' {{lang|smn|mááccuh}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://sanosesaameksi.yle.fi/pikaopas-saamelaiskulttuuriin/ |title=Pikaopas saamelaiskulttuuriin |trans-title=A quick guide to Sámi culture |website=Sano se saameksi |language=fi |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref>
'''[[Skolt Sami language|Skolt Sámi:]]''' {{lang|sms|määccaǩ}}<ref name=":0"></ref>
'''[[Kildin Sami language|Kildin Sámi:]]''' {{lang|sjd|ма̄цэх/юххьп/юппа}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://saami.su/o-saami/materialnaya-kultura/odezhda.html |script-title=ru:Одежда российских саамов |title=Odezhda rossiyskikh saamov |trans-title=Clothing of Russian Sami |website=Saami.su |language=ru |access-date=2023-02-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811054319/https://saami.su/o-saami/materialnaya-kultura/odezhda.html |archive-date=2022-08-11}}</ref>
'''[[Ter Sami language|Ter Sámi:]]''' {{lang|sjt|ма̄ца}} ({{lang|sjt|mā͕ᵈtsa͕ᵍ}})<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kaino.kotus.fi/algu/index.php?t=lekseemi&lekseemi_id=72227 |title=Kotimaisten kielten keskus |website=kaino.kotus.fi |language=en, fi, de, se |access-date=2023-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204173825/https://kaino.kotus.fi/algu/index.php?t=lekseemi&lekseemi_id=72227 |archive-date=2023-12-04}}</ref>
==Fake gákti==
The Finnish tourist industry is notorious for displaying fake Sámi culture for tourists.{{editorializing|date=August 2016}} Ethnically [[Finns|Finnish]] actors dress up in fake "gáktis" and perform fake "traditional rituals". This activity has been met with fierce protests<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galdu.org/web/index.php?odas=3374&giella1=eng |title=SÁPMI: No Fake Samis, Stop the Misuse of Our Culture |publisher=Galdu.org |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2012-10-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217221046/http://www.galdu.org/web/index.php?odas=3374&giella1=eng |archivedate=2012-02-17 }}</ref> from ethnic Sámi since it creates a false image of Sámi culture, diverts tourist industry money from ethnic Sámi to ethnic Finns (thereby [[wikt:exploitation|exploiting]] the Sámi presence in [[Lapland (Finland)|Lappland]] without giving anything back to the Sámi) and is dishonest towards tourists.
==See also==
* [[Four winds hat]]
* [[Luhkka]]
* [[Beaska]]
==External links==
* [https://samiskeveivisere.no/kart/ Clickable map of information about the traditional clothing of various Sámi groups]
==References==
*[http://ndla.no/nb/node/114083 Fra hverdagsplagg til kulturelt kjennetegn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808203331/http://ndla.no/nb/node/114083 |date=2016-08-08 }} [[Norwegian Digital Learning Arena]] / [[Norwegian News Agency]] {{in lang|no}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category-inline|Sami clothing}}
{{Folk costume}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gakti}}
[[Category:Sámi clothing]]
[[Category:Sámi-language terms]]
[[Category:Norwegian clothing]]
[[Category:Finnish clothing]]
[[Category:Russian clothing]]