Elsa Laula Renberg

Elsa Laula Renberg (ca. 1915?)

Elsa Laula Renberg (née Elsa Laula, November 29, 1877 in Tärnaby – July 22, 1931 in Brønnøy) was a Sámi activist and politician. She was born to reindeer herders, Lars Thomasson Laula and Kristina Josefina Larsdotterb and grew up near Dikanäs. After receiving training school in Stockholm as a midwife, she returned home to live near Dikanäs. In 1908, she married reindeer herder, Thomas Renberg. Together, they moved to Vefsn in Nordland, Norway and had 6 children together. Elsa died at the age of 54 of tuberculosis in Brønnøy.

Life or death

In 1904, Renberg wrote and published a 30-page pamphlet in Swedish entitled Infor lif eller död? Sanningsord i de Lappska förhållandena (Do we face life or death? Words of truth about the Lappish situation) making her the first Sámi woman to have her writings published. This work discussed several issues that were facing the Sámi, such as their education system, their right to vote, and their right to own land. The Sámi national spirit was reawakening at the point the writing was published, making it especially important. Renburg also encouraged Sámi women to work and help her in the cause.

External links

• The Pioneers: Elsa Laula And Karin Stenberg, The First Sámi Woman Writers
• Elsa Laula Renberg - the mother of Sámi cooperation