At 07:38 1998-09-30 -0400, Todd wrote:
>This is of course utterly irrelevant to their genetic isolation.
>I understand that the Inuit comprise peoples from Canada, Asia,
>and Scandinavia.

Greenland belongs politically to Denmark, which in turn is one of the
three scandinavian countries. But Scandinavia does not exist outside
the mainlands of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Finland and Iceland are
*nordic* countries together with the three scandinavian. The
name Scandinavia has probably to do with the dangerous (skadliga) sand
reefs around the costs of Skane (southernmost part of Sweden, and
Denmark.
Greenland belongs just to itself or perhaps North America. There are
no Inuits indigenous to Scandinavia or any other part of Europe.
What we have in northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia
is Lapps ("Same" is their own name of them (in singular), and english
talking persons will surely pronounce that wrong, just as they do with
most non english words and names :-( ). Their origin is not
clear, but recent studies show that they probably have been genetically
isolated for a very long time. They have some mongol-like traits (on the
outside at lest). They traditionally subside on reindeers
to a very high degree, so there might be some micro adaption there.

Ray wrote:

>Laplanders were also feared for this in Europe

Never heard of that! They have lived a peaceful life in the north until
we other "nordics" colonised them.

- Hans