In the latest episode of the popular Swedish TV show Ällt för Sverige (All for Sweden), the show makes a rare visit to Sápmi. The contestants meet reindeer herders and reindeer, sleep in a lávvu, taste suovas, experience joik, and measure the weight, in blueberries, of a smoked moose heart. This is only the third time the show has ventured north in its eleven seasons, so it’s a rare treat. While missing a Sámi American contestant (eliminated in the first episode), the episode goes beyond the expected stereotypes to touch on serious issues, including Sweden’s colonial history, the effect of wind turbines on reindeer, and the racism still faced by Sámi schoolkids. The show is now casting for its next season, and previous travel in Sweden is no longer a disqualifier. So if you aren’t camera-shy and can commit to six weeks of filming next May and June, apply by January 15, 2024.
Breaking the silence
I was moved to learn that Norwegian musician Stian Soli’s song MIHÁ (for which I provided English translations) is now part of a curriculum in Norway, assisting educators in raising awareness of sex abuse, as well as how to prevent it, and the value of reporting it. Much respect to Stian and his team and to Mona, whose courage in reporting inspired the song and set many reforms in motion.
Breaking the culture of silence was a major theme in Tystnaden i Sápmi (Silence in Sápmi), the 2022 film by director Lisolette Wajstedt that was screened at the Sámi Film Festival in Seattle. As a cofounder of the festival in 2018, I am delighted that Lisolette will be the guest curator next year.
Colonial histories
Some events of potential interest to readers:
- 2 pm, Sunday, Dec 3, 2023: Hanna Pylväinen, author of The End of Drum Time, at the National Nordic Museum. To my knowledge, the first American novelist to explore the legacy of Lars Levi Laestadius and Swedish colonialism in Tornedalen. An incredibly gifted writer.
- 6:30 pm, Jan 17, 2024: Sámi Histories, Colonization and Today, the first in a 3-part series by instructor Christian Hans Pedersen, offered virtually by the Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. I don’t know the instructor but am eager to see what is offered.
In this poignant interview, trauma expert and Holocaust survivor Gabor Maté describes his Zionist youth and his visits to the occupied territories. This quote jumped out.
“I live in Canada. This country was founded on the suppression and erasure of the Indigenous population and the utter denial of their narrative. In Canada, for example, in the horrendous residential schools a few decades ago, if a Native child spoke their tribal language, they would have a pin stuck in their tongue. Now most Canadians are not aware of that history. Most Israelis are not aware of the history of what the Palestinians have suffered . . . as in all countries where the local population has been displaced, the majority population doesn’t know the history or the subjective experience, so if you’re asking me how to move forward, let’s inform ourselves of both sides, not just one side.”
If you can donate funds, this is a good place to give: International Rescue Committee.
Seattle Sámi 