Excursion Exhibition – Part 2: South Sápmi 2015

In spring of 2015, Focal Point North funded a second excursion for first-year Indigenous Studies Master’s students to Norway’s Trøndaleg region, as well as Västerbottten and Jämtland regions of Sweden. Activities and seminars were focused on the subject area of “Indigenous peoples, resources and rights”.

Activities and content reflected South Sámi cultural, social, and political institutions of where they were located, but students were encouraged to participate in discussions by bringing their own perspectives and insights from their cultures. The exhibition, “Making Connections: Knowledge and Experience Sharing,” attempts to illustrate this exchange and interaction through photos.

Take a look below!

Day 1: Tromsø – Snåsa

In Snåsa, students met Thomas Åhren, elected representative from the Norwegian Sámi Parliament. Åhren told of his personal role within the parliament, told of the legislative issues regarding reindeer herding and animals of prey, as well as answering questions regarding the relationship between the Sámi and Norwegian Parliaments.

Day 2: Snåsa – Sæterstad gård

The second day students visited Samien Sijte (South Sami Museum & Sámi Parliament) in Snåsa. Here students were exposed to the museum exhibits as well as the responsibilities of staff in representing Sámi through history and the present. The night was then spent at Sæterstad gård, a local goat and fish farm, which generates its own hydroelectricity.

Day 3: Hattfjeldall

Students visited the Hattfjeldall Sámi School, learning about its role in continuing South Sami language instruction to students from both Norway and Sweden. Thus the school has great influence on rebuilding and sustaining cultural/linguistic ties between individuals who attend. Students also visited Sitji Jarnge South Sámi Culture and Development Centre, where the South Sámi Library Bus made an appearance.

Day 4: Tärnaby

Here, students attended a seminar by Marie Persson regarding the local activist campaign “Stoppa gruvan i Rönnbäcken” and her business, Maries Design. A visit to the local Sámi School was also made where Odd Willenfeldt provided context to the Swedish system of instructing Sámi curricula, which aided students to reflect on the differences and similarities between the school previously visited in Norway.

Day 5: Vilhelmina

In Vilhelmina students were presented with a research project, “Collaborative research in practice – reflections from different perspectives,” by university researchers, Per Sanström and Anette Löf, and community researcher/reindeer herder, Marita Stinnerbom. They discussed the positive outcomes of collaborative research by allowing community stake-holders to direct research that is most important for them and for knowledge-building in reindeer herding using new tools provided by collaboration with universities.

Day 6: Östersund

The first activity was provided by excursion participants and researchers Patrik Lantto (University of Umeå) and Greg Poelzer (University of Saskatchewan). Each held a lecture, Lantto on the Sámi political movement in Sweden, and Poelzer on Comparative Research Approaches. In the evening everyone took part in a cultural exchange, sharing or presenting something from their home communities.

Day 7: Östersund

On their last day, students visited Gaaltjie sydsamiskt kulturcentrum (South Sámi cultural centre) with Jerker Bexelius who discussed the centre’s mandate in providing space and services to the local Sámi community. Students then made a visit to Jamtli, the regional museum of Jämtland.