Sámi Identity Representation and Revitalization in Northern Norway Charlotte de Jong In cooperation with The National Museum of World Cultures: Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden S1134396 Supervisor: Prof. dr. Pieter ter Keurs Date: June 28, 2017 Word count: 29,646 (including in-text references, excluding bibliography) Sámi Identity Representation and Revitalization in Northern Norway Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Description of fieldwork ..................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2. Politics, protests and society ....................................................................... 14 2.1 Introduction to Sámi history ............................................................................................................ 14 2.2 History of assimilation ...................................................................................................................... 17 2.3 Sámi politics nowadays .................................................................................................................... 22 2.4 Sámi struggles nowadays ................................................................................................................. 23 Chapter 3. Theoretical background .............................................................................. 25 3.1 Identity and identity formation ....................................................................................................... 25 3.2 Material culture and its power ........................................................................................................ 31 3.3 Museums and museum representation........................................................................................... 34 3.4 Being indigenous .............................................................................................................................. 36 Chapter 4. Methods ................................................................................................... 39 4.1 Operationalization............................................................................................................................ 39 4.2 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 40 4.3 Ethical considerations and the position of the researcher in the field............................................ 44 Chapter 5. Museums, representation and identity ......................................................... 46 5.1 Museum Volkenkunde ..................................................................................................................... 46 5.2 Introduction to national and Sámi museums .................................................................................. 47 5.3 National museums: Tromsø museum and Alta museum................................................................. 48 5.4 Sámi museums: Karasjok museum and Kautokeino museum ......................................................... 61 5.5 The North Norwegian Art museum and exhibition ‘There is no’ ..................................................... 67 5.6 Conclusion: the future of Sámi museums? ...................................................................................... 71 Chapter 6. Analysis and conclusion .............................................................................. 73 6.1 Sámi revitalization: discovering being Sámi ..................................................................................... 73 6.2 The role of material culture ............................................................................................................. 75 6.3 Identity representation in museums ............................................................................................... 77 6.4 Conclusion: answering research question ....................................................................................... 79 6.5 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 81 Bibliography..................................................................................................................... 83 1 Master thesis Cultural Anthropology – Charlotte de Jong Table of images Image 1 - Cake to celebrate the Sámi national day.................................................................... 9 Image 2 - Women wearing gákti's in different styles during the 6th of February celebrations at the Radhuset. ......................................................................................................................... 9 Image 3 - Part of the 'Sámi culture' exhibition......................................................................... 49 Image 4 - Part of the 'Sámi culture' exhibition......................................................................... 49 Image 5 - Part of the 'Sámi culture' exhibition ........................................................................ 50 Image 6 - Part of the 'Sámi culture' exhibition ........................................................................ 50 Image 7 - The entrance towards the 'Sápmi - becoming a nation' exhibition ........................ 52 Image 8 - The text at the entrance of the 'Sápmi - becoming a nation' exhibition. First in Sámi, then in Norwegian and lastly in English. ........................................................................ 53 Image 10 - In the 'Sápmi - becoming a nation' exhibition. Placing Sámi history in a global context...................................................................................................................................... 54 Image 9 - The style of the 'Sápmi - becoming a nation' exhibition. ......................................... 54 Image 11 - Part of the 'Sápmi - becoming a nation' exhibition. Showing how the World War II speeded up the assimilation. ................................................................................................... 55 Image 12 - A coat made of sheep in the 'Na, maid dá?' exhibition. ........................................ 56 Image 13 - A gákti in the 'Na, maid dá?' exhibition ................................................................. 57 Image 14 - The bonnet horn in the 'No, maid dá?' exhibition. ................................................ 58 Image 15 - The part in the museum about the Alta Kautokeino conflict with many protest posters. ..................................................................................................................................... 59 Image 16 - A Sámi drum at the Karasjok Museum. .................................................................. 62 Image 17 - Mannequins in the Museum. ................................................................................. 63 Image 18 - A museum diorama of a Sámi man on a sled pulled by a reindeer. ...................... 63 Image 19 - A display of different Sámi clothing. ...................................................................... 64 Image 20 - An old picture of Kautokeino at the entrance of the Museum.............................. 65 Image 21 - An overview of the Kautokeino Museum. ............................................................. 65 Image 23 - Clothing from the Kautokeino area. ....................................................................... 66 Image 22 - Duodji items in the Kautokeino Museum. ............................................................. 66 Image 24 - Another text on the wall of the museum, first in Sámi.......................................... 68 Image 25 - Photo taken by the North Norwegian Art Museum............................................... 69 Image 27 - Overview of one of the halls. ................................................................................. 70 Image 26 - A bowl made by Monica Edmonson....................................................................... 70 Image 28 - Duodji and art come together. ............................................................................... 71 Image 30 - The table filled with Sámi knives. ........................................................................... 72 Image 29 - A gákti made of food packaging. ............................................................................ 72 2 Sámi Identity Representation and Revitalization in Northern Norway Acknowledgments This research would not have become what it is now without the help of Dr. Cunera Buijs, curator at the The National Museum of World Cultures, Museum Volkenkunde. She has helped me in creating new ideas, finding literature, and just being there to listen to me being excited about the Arctic. I want to thank Museum Volkenkunde in offering me an inspiring workplace where I was able to write a large part of this thesis, make use of the computer systems and library. I also want to thank my supervisor, Professor dr. Pieter ter Keurs, for his comments and remarks, for sharing with me his experience in doing fieldwork, and above all, letting me work independently so that I was able to make this research my own. Special thanks go to the Research Center of Material Culture in granting me the Steven Engelsman Grant. Without it I would not have been able to conduct the research I have done. I want to thank all the museums I have visited in Norway