Elsa Laula Renberg


Elsa Laula Renberg was a Sámi activist and politician.
She was born to reindeer herders, Lars Thomasson Laula and Kristina Josefina Larsdotter and grew up near. 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 where they lived as reindeer herders and had 6 children together. Elsa died at the age of 54 of tuberculosis in Brønnøy.

'"Do we face 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 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.
She participated in the forming of the first Sami organization in Stockholm in August 1904. She was also the chair of the organizing committee of the first Sámi Assembly of 1917 in Trondheim.