Taking as a point of departure the disruption of local and S\u00e1mi food systems in a region characterized by Norwegianization processes, this project aims to contribute to the emerging reconciliation processes for S\u00e1mi in Norway. Biebmolassi draws upon and operationalizes an Indigenous understanding of food systems, where food is a central part of culture and an arena for reconciliation that can serve to bridge the past with the present acknowledging traditional S\u00e1mi foods as a valued part of S\u00e1mi culture. In the project, we focus on local S\u00e1mi food systems in Stuornj\u00e1rga (Sk\u00e5nlandshalv\u00f8ya) in Southern Troms and the Sallto (Salten) region in Nordland, and how the vitalization of food systems can contribute to reconciliation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biebmolassi addresses knowledge gaps identified in the Norwegian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (NTRC) Report. During the modernization of fisheries and agriculture, S\u00e1mi food systems and traditions were integrated into the larger societal political and economic structures of the increasingly industrial food production systems. The NTRC highlights how the state policy of Norwegianization disrupted S\u00e1mi use of nature. This disruption occurred because it conflicted with the Norwegian agricultural expansion in northern Norway. The expansion prioritized agricultural needs over nomadic reindeer husbandry and nature harvest practices. Consequently, government policies strengthened the colonization of agricultural land in parts of Nordland and Troms at the beginning of the 20th<\/sup> century (H\u00f8ybr\u00e5ten et al. 2023, 245). In coastal S\u00e1mi regions, local fishermen report that regulations put combination industries under pressure and restricted the possibilities to practice traditional industries, which in turn have consequences for language and cultural practices in sea S\u00e1mi areas (H\u00f8ybr\u00e5ten et al. 2023, 582). Addressing these challenges is critical for improving the understanding and recognition of S\u00e1mi food practices in Norwegian policy and governance frameworks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Biebmolassi will explore historical and present-time S\u00e1mi and local food systems in Sallto and Stuornj\u00e1rga; how they have been disrupted, how they have changed, and what innovations and new products can be developed based on local S\u00e1mi food traditions. Biebmolassi is a S\u00e1mi concept referring to harvesting and subsistence practices, such as berry picking, fishing, hunting, pastoralism, and food production. The role of Indigenous peoples\u2019 food systems in achieving global biodiversity targets and mitigating and adapting to climate change is an emerging field of action and research in sustainability science and Indigenous studies (Kuhnlein et al. 2019; Bezner Kerr et al. 2022; Oskal et al. 2023; Rybr\u00e5ten et al. 2024). The purpose of Biebmolassi is to examine local and Indigenous S\u00e1mi food systems as part of the Indigenous food systems and the environmental and cultural sustainability fields of research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most research on S\u00e1mi food systems has been conducted in Finnmark County in the context of reindeer husbandry. At the same time, Norwegianization processes played out differently in the Sallto and Stuornj\u00e1rga regions compared to the \u201ccore areas\u201d in Finnmark, which impacts the degree to which food systems and food practices are currently recognized and remembered as distinctly S\u00e1mi or Norwegian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Biebmolassi is uniquely positioned to investigate the food systems in Sallto and Stuornj\u00e1rga due to its cooperation with local actors who are well-positioned and trusted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Biebmolassi project\u2019s primary objective is to<\/em> contribute to the emerging reconciliation processes for S\u00e1mi in the Sallto and Stuornj\u00e1rga regions through increased knowledge production on local S\u00e1mi food systems<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n