religions Article Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway Marte Spangen 1,* and Tiina Äikäs 2 1 Department of Archaeology, History, Religious Studies and Theology, UiT—The Arctic University of Norway, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway 2 Research Unit of History, Culture and Communications, University of Oulu, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; tiina.aikas@oulu.fi * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 14 May 2020; Accepted: 19 June 2020; Published: 27 June 2020 Abstract: This study focuses on the contemporary use of two well-known Sámi offering sites in Alta, Finnmark, Norway. Today, these are hiking destinations and sightseeing points for both the Sámi and the non-Sámi local population, as well as a few non-local visitors. Many of these visitors leave objects at the sites, such as parts of recently slaughtered reindeer, clothing, coins, toys, sweet wrappers and toilet paper. This indicates that visitors have different levels of knowledge about and reverence for the traditional significance of these places. Through repeated surveys over several years, we also observed a certain development and change in the number and character of these depositions, as well as a variation in depositions between different sites. A series of interviews with various users and key stakeholders were performed to clarify the reasons for these changing practices, as well as what individuals and groups visit these sites, their motivation for doing so and for leaving specific objects, and what potential conflict of interest there is between different users. Furthermore, we surveyed what information has been available to the public about these sites and their significance in Sámi religion and cultural history over time. The results show that a diverse group of individuals visit the sites for a variety of reasons, and that there are contrasting views on their use, even among different Sámi stakeholders. While it is difficult to limit the knowledge and use of these places because they are already well known, more information about old Sámi ritual practices and appropriate behaviour at such sites may mediate latent conflicts and promote a better understanding of the importance of offering sites in both past and present Sámi societies. Keywords: Sámi religion; sieidi; offering site; contemporary offerings; tourism 1. Introduction There have been many ways of relating to old Sámi offering sites, and there have been many ways of safeguarding them. In Norway, cultural heritage sites are generally recorded and mapped for land planning purposes and preservation. However, there are Sámi traditions for secrecy around certain offering sites, and a traumatic history of irreverence towards Sámi ritual sites and practices has contributed further to secrecy about old graves and offering sites. To some extent, Sámi cultural heritage authorities in Norway have maintained that offering sites that are automatically protected by law should be recorded only in password-protected databases (Fossum and Norberg 2012, pp. 19–23). The need to protect them in this way relates both to their general status as cultural heritage and their more specific and transcendent symbolic value as markers of the ethnic religion of the Sámi indigenous population in northern Fennoscandia. The latter has socio-political significance today because Sámi religion and rituals were systematically eradicated by missionary activity and other Religions 2020, 11, 317; doi:10.3390/rel11070317 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Religions 2020, 11, 317 2 of 22 Religions 2020, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 22 assimilationassimilation policies, policies, at at least least from from the the 17th 17th century century onwards. onwards. The The cultural cultural and and human human consequences consequences stillstill affect affect Sámi Sámi communities communities and and individuals individuals today. today. SomeSome Sámi Sámi offering offering sites, sites, however, however, are are too too well well known known locally locally and and regionally regionally to to be be protected protected by by lacklack ofof mentionmention in in databases databases or culturalor cultural heritage heritage guides. guides. They representThey repres theent old Stheámi old sacred Sámi landscape sacred landscapebut also the but local also the landscape, local landscape, as this is as used this is and used conceptualised and conceptualised by a variety by a variety of people. of people. The The past pastsignificance significance of the of o fftheering offering sites maysites ring may through ring through into various into various modern modern contexts, contexts, although although in part as in a partrather as dia ratherffuse idea diffuse about idea their about meaning. their meaning. InsteadInstead of of a aprofound profound spiritual spiritual meaning, meaning, the thesites sites sometimes sometimes end endup as up focal as points focal points for what for mightwhat be might considered be considered another anothergeneral form general of “spirituality” form of “spirituality” in an increasingly in an increasingly secularist Norway— secularist theNorway—the fascination fascinationwith hiking. with Hiking hiking. and Hiking skiing andand, skiing more and,generally, more generally,“being in “beingnature” in became nature” nationalbecame nationalsymbols symbolsof Norwegian of Norwegian identity identityduring th duringe late the19th late and 19th 20th and century 20th century(Hesjedal (Hesjedal 2004; Ween 2004 ; andWeen Abram and Abram 2012). 2012Hikes). Hikesare often are oftenundertaken undertaken to reach to reach a destination, a destination, whether whether a mountain a mountain peak, peak, a cabina cabin or orsome some useful useful activity activity like like fishing fishing or or berry berry and and mushroom mushroom picking. picking. The The hikes hikes may may also also aim aim for for aa landmark, landmark, and and conspicuous conspicuous Sámi Sámi offering offering stones stones are are among such destinations. TheThe variation variation in in knowledge knowledge among among people people using using Sámi Sámi offering offering sites sites as as hiking hiking destinations destinations about about theirtheir significance significance in SSámiámi cultureculture isis given given a a material material expression expression in in a varietya variety of depositions.of depositions. What What is left is leftat the at the sites sites includes includes objects objects close close to traditional to traditional Sámi oSámifferings offerings as well as as well things as morethings similar more tosimilar rubbish, to rubbish,at least atat firstleast glance.at first glance. This is This problematic is problematic both fromboth thefrom viewpoint the viewpoint of some of some Sámi Sámi individuals individuals and andgroups groups and and in terms in terms of the of Norwegianthe Norwegian cultural cultural heritage heritage legislation. legislation. The The law law forbids forbids destruction destruction and andvandalism vandalism but alsobut “unduealso “undue disfigurement”, disfigurement”, which which can cover can thecover littering the littering of heritage of sitesheritage (Cultural sites (CulturalHeritage Heritage Act §3-1). Act Sá mi§3-1). sites Sámi with sites place-specific with place-specific traditions traditions or archaeological or archaeological remains remains from 1917 from or 1917older or are older automatically are automatically protected protected (§4-2). (§4-2). InIn this this article, article, we we look look into into the the latent latent conflict conflictss related related to to the the varied varied contemporary contemporary use use of of two two old old SámiSámi offering offering sites inin Alta,Alta,Á Áhkkuhkku (“the (“the Old Old Woman”) Woman”) by by the the sea sea close close to the to town,the town, and Fandállegea Fállegeadgi¯ (“theđgi (“theFalcon Falcon Stone”) Stone”) on the on inland the plainsinland (Figureplains 1(Figure). The study 1). The is importantstudy is important to understand to understand the interaction the interactionwith these siteswith andthese what sites consequences and what conseque divergingnces use diverging and understanding use and understanding of their sacredness of their may sacrednesshave for the may dynamics have for of the the dynamics multicultural of the community multicultural in Alta community today. Through in Alta fieldtoday. observations Through field and observationssemi-structured and interviews,semi-structured we explore interviews, who we exactly explore visits who the exactly sites and visits leaves the sites the diandfferent leaves things the differentfound there, things what found knowledge there, what various knowledge groups variou have abouts groups the originalhave about Sámi the use original of the Sámi sites, use their ofown the sites,attitude their to own these attitude today, andto these how today, any conflicting and how use any can conflicting be mediated use can at these be mediated well-known at these and easilywell- knownaccessible and sacred easily sites.accessible sacred sites. FigureFigure 1. 1. SatelliteSatellite photo photo of of Alta, Alta, Finnmark, Finnmark, northern northern Norway, Norway, with with the the site sitess mentioned mentioned in in the the text. text. Ill.: Ill.: MarteMarte Spangen. Spangen. Photo: Photo: norgeskart.no. norgeskart.no. Religions 2020, 11, 317 3 of 22 2. Sámi Offering Sites and Rituals Sámi offering and sacred sites, called sieidi (plural sieddit) in North Sámi, come in many shapes, but large blocks, sometimes