≪The so‐called ≪Norwegianization≫ of the Sami population in parts of North‐Norway has been described in rather broad terms as a process towards a more or less complete assimilation of the minority group. However, the study of this process affronts some methodological problems. Being a process of recodification of basic identities, we ideally need data on how members of the different ethnic categories perceived each other and what impact these mutual codifications had on their organization of social interaction at different points in time. No records of the past contain this sort of information. However, through the study of population censuses we may compare the registration of ≪nationality≫ over time, and when we trace individuals in these registrations, we also find that changes of category occur rather frequently. The category of ≪mixed≫ descent tends to increase, and this may be due to changes in registrations and/ or growth in the rate of inter‐ethnic marriages. After this methodological illustration, the article discusses mechanisms of ethnic differentiation in seemingly ≪Norwegianized≫ communities of today, namely dialect variations (conversational codes) as a means to sustain ethnic categorization on a regional level and presents an example of local level incorporation which may be seen as an extension of ethnic dichotomization in this type of community.≫