Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Theologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 48998

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Special Issue Editors

The Arctic University Museum of Norway, the Arctic University of Tromsø, Lars Thørings veg 10, 9006 Tromsø, Norway
Interests: contemporary shamanism; tourism; museology
Archeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, 90570 Oulu, Finland
Interests: archeology of religion; contemporary offerings; and heritage studies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Religions approaches Sámi religion from a long-term perspective seeing both the past’s religious practices and contemporary religious expressions as aspects of the same phenomena. This does not refer however, to a static or uniform understanding of Sámi religion. Sámi religion is an ambiguous concept that has to be understood as a pluralistic phenomenon consisting of multiple applications and associations and widely differing interpretations. In a historical perspective and in many contemporary contexts (such as museum displays, media stories, as well as educational programs) the term Sámi religion is mostly used as a reference to Sámi Pre-Christian religious practices or to Læstadianism – a Christian conservative movement that spread among the Sámi during the 19th. Century. In this Special Issue, we aim to challenge these forms of representations, and expand the understanding of the term Sámi religion. Our focus is on how Sámi religion is expressed in contemporary cultures, the role it plays in identity politics and heritagization processes, and the ways the past and present are entangled. 

Themes of this issue include:

  1. Contemporary contexts for Sámi religion
  2. Material engagements in the production of Sámi religion
  3. Identity politics and heritagization processes
  4. (Re-)Creating Sámi religion

This Special Issue will be, necessarily, interdisciplinary and daring, as we tease out range of religious dynamics and practices expressed in relation to Sámi religion in contemporary times. 

Prof. Dr. Trude A. Fonneland
Dr. Tiina Äikäs
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Sámi Religion
  • religious dynamics
  • practices
  • identities
  • heritagization processes
  • material engagement
  • (re-)creating

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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7 pages, 237 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction: The Making of Sámi Religion in Contemporary Society
by Trude Fonneland and Tiina Äikäs
Religions 2020, 11(11), 547; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11110547 - 23 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2240
Abstract
This Special Issue of Religions approaches “Sámi religion” from a long-term perspective seeing both the past religious practices and contemporary religious expressions as aspects of the same phenomena. This does not refer, however, to a focus on continuity or to a static or [...] Read more.
This Special Issue of Religions approaches “Sámi religion” from a long-term perspective seeing both the past religious practices and contemporary religious expressions as aspects of the same phenomena. This does not refer, however, to a focus on continuity or to a static or uniform understanding of Sámi religion. Sámi religion is an ambiguous concept that has to be understood as a pluralistic phenomenon consisting of multiple applications and associations and widely differing interpretations, and that highlights the complexities of processes of religion-making. In a historical perspective and in many contemporary contexts (such as museum displays, media stories, as well as educational programs) the term Sámi religion is mostly used as a reference to Sámi pre-Christian religious practices, to Laestadianism, a Lutheran revival movement that spread among the Sámi during the 19th Century, and last but not least to shamanism. In this issue, we particularly aim to look into contemporary contexts where Sámi religion is expressed, consumed, and promoted. We ask what role it plays in identity politics and heritagization processes, and how different actors connect with distant local religious pasts—in other words, in which contexts is Sámi religion activated, by whom, and for what? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

21 pages, 297 KiB  
Article
VUOIŊŊALAŠVUOHTA—Sámi Spirituality, Yoik and Its Relations
by Tuula Sharma Vassvik
Religions 2020, 11(10), 512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11100512 - 10 Oct 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2127
Abstract
The subject of identity is important in today’s political landscape. This article explores the way in which indigenous identity in particular is a contested subject, taking into account the way indigeneity in itself was, and still is, created within colonial contexts. The “validity” [...] Read more.
The subject of identity is important in today’s political landscape. This article explores the way in which indigenous identity in particular is a contested subject, taking into account the way indigeneity in itself was, and still is, created within colonial contexts. The “validity” of indigenous peoples and their political aims, as well as their right to live according to their own cultural paths, will often be determined according to racist ideas connected to authenticity and its stereotypical demands. Such concepts can furthermore turn inward, disconnecting indigenous peoples from their own heritage. How ideas of authenticity affect indigenous individuals and their processes of identification serves as a central question within this text. Central to the Standing Rock movement was the focus on spirituality and religion grounded in Lakota traditions and other indigenous cultures. The text accounts for how these practices affected Marielle Beaska Gaup, Sámi artist, activist, and mother, especially through her experiences as a juoigi, a traditional Sámi yoiker. The ever-present singing and drumming at camp, chiefly during the summer, tied the mundane and ritualistic together, a characteristic mirroring traditional Lakota and Sámi ways of life, in which the spiritual at times seem to be an integral part of daily life. Building upon Marielle’s observations, the text looks at the way indigenous people’s relationships with spiritual traditions can affect processes of identification, and how indigenous identity can be intimately link to its spiritual heritage. This article employs indigenous methodologies, centering research on Sámi and indigenous perspectives, values and agendas. Marielle’s reflections contribute to the exploration of the connections between spirituality and Sámi identities; furthermore, they enable us to connect ideas about moving beyond the authoritarian ideals of “authentic identities”, through re-centering on indigenous experiences and processes of identification My main source is Marielle’s interview and articles based on interviews with people from Standing Rock The analysis centers on Marielle’s thoughts together with my own, with support from indigenous researchers bringing their own knowledge about identity and spirituality forward. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
16 pages, 286 KiB  
Article
Nature and Magic as Representation of “The Sami”—Sami Shamanistic Material in Popular Culture
by Anne Kalvig
Religions 2020, 11(9), 453; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11090453 - 05 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 7154
Abstract
This article examines how magic and nature become representations of both “the Sami” and “Sami shamanism” in animation films Frozen 2 and Klaus, in the television crime series Midnattssol (Midnight Sun) and in three Eurovision Song Contest contributions partly by [...] Read more.
This article examines how magic and nature become representations of both “the Sami” and “Sami shamanism” in animation films Frozen 2 and Klaus, in the television crime series Midnattssol (Midnight Sun) and in three Eurovision Song Contest contributions partly by Sami artists, containing joik. With a methodological ludism approach and with material theory, the article asks how “the Sami” and shamanism are made relevant as spiritual or religious categories within popular cultural products, and how (and why) spirituality is being constructed and communicated on a more general level in a time of eco-crisis, where there is a growing global interest in perceived shamanistic and animistic perceptions of the world, nature, and ourselves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
16 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
‘Sami Religion’ in Sámi Curricula in RE in the Norwegian School System: An Analysis of the Importance of Terms
by Bengt-Ove Andreassen and Torjer A. Olsen
Religions 2020, 11(9), 448; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11090448 - 01 Sep 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2759
Abstract
In this article, we map and analyse the changes in conceptualisation and ideas on Sámi and indigenous people in the Sámi (Religious Education) RE curricula for primary and secondary school in the period from 1997 to 2015. Through the analysis of five sets [...] Read more.
In this article, we map and analyse the changes in conceptualisation and ideas on Sámi and indigenous people in the Sámi (Religious Education) RE curricula for primary and secondary school in the period from 1997 to 2015. Through the analysis of five sets of curricula for RE in this period, we investigate how they introduce a new set of ideas and concepts concerning religion related to the Sámi as an indigenous people. ‘Circumpolar indigenous people’s religion’ is a concept and a category that is primarily found within the Sámi curriculum of Norway’s educational system. As such, we argue it is a way of religion making through the conceptualization of Sámi religion in particular, and indigenous religions in general. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
14 pages, 402 KiB  
Article
Sámi indigenous(?) Religion(s)(?)—Some Observations and Suggestions Concerning Term Use
by Konsta Kaikkonen
Religions 2020, 11(9), 432; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11090432 - 23 Aug 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3023
Abstract
When writing about politically and culturally sensitive topics, term use is of great relevance. Sámi religion is a case in point. Words organise and create the world around us, and labels have direct consequences on how religious phenomena are perceived. Even labelling a [...] Read more.
When writing about politically and culturally sensitive topics, term use is of great relevance. Sámi religion is a case in point. Words organise and create the world around us, and labels have direct consequences on how religious phenomena are perceived. Even labelling a phenomenon or an action “religious” carries certain baggage. Term use is, of course, easier when writing about historical materials and describing rituals whose practitioners have been dead for centuries. Nonetheless, contemporary practitioners of age-old rituals or people who use ancient symbols in their everyday lives often see themselves as carriers of old tradition and wish to identify with previous generations regardless of opinions that might deem their actions as “re-enacting”, “neoshamanism”, or “neopaganism”. If, for example, outsider academics wish to deem modern-day Indigenous persons as “neo”-something, issues of power and essentialism blend in with the discourse. This paper critically explores terms used around the Sámi religion in different time periods and attempts to come to suggestions that could solve some of the terminological problems a student of modern practitioners of indigenous religions inevitably faces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
14 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Religion-Making in the Disney Feature Film, Frozen II: Indigenous Religion and Dynamics of Agency
by Trude Fonneland
Religions 2020, 11(9), 430; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11090430 - 21 Aug 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5513
Abstract
This paper explores the religion-making potential of a particular secular institution, namely the Walt Disney Studios. Focusing on the animation film Frozen II that was launched in November 2019, the current article enters into debates about the manner in which indigenous religion is [...] Read more.
This paper explores the religion-making potential of a particular secular institution, namely the Walt Disney Studios. Focusing on the animation film Frozen II that was launched in November 2019, the current article enters into debates about the manner in which indigenous religion is part of the commodity presented—how religion is produced, packaged, and staged. In the article I argue that contemporary media-scapes can be seen as agents of religion-making, of religious circulation, and renewal. As such, religion, as it is expressed in Frozen II, is outlined and produced by a particular media-form and shaped as a popular cultural formation. Further discussions about cultural appropriation are highlighted, focusing on how Disney’s reach out for cooperation with the Sámi community can generate new cultural policies and practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
13 pages, 6042 KiB  
Article
Souvenirs and the Commodification of Sámi Spirituality in Tourism
by Stein R. Mathisen
Religions 2020, 11(9), 429; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11090429 - 21 Aug 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3728
Abstract
Tangible, material objects sold in tourism contexts are often seen as problematic examples of commercialization, especially when they are marketed as examples of intangible Indigenous cultural heritages, representing Indigenous religion or spirituality. Taking the in situ presentations of examples of Sámi souvenirs connected [...] Read more.
Tangible, material objects sold in tourism contexts are often seen as problematic examples of commercialization, especially when they are marketed as examples of intangible Indigenous cultural heritages, representing Indigenous religion or spirituality. Taking the in situ presentations of examples of Sámi souvenirs connected to religious contexts in souvenir shops as a point of departure, this analysis investigates the complex relations these elements enter, with reference to religion, to the past, to the arts or crafts field, and to questions of ownership. The main theoretical focus is on how these souvenirs are adjusted to general, Western tourism imaginaries. One of the examples of such souvenirs are replicas in different sizes and qualities of the Sámi noaidi’s drum, while other examples discuss the use of the symbols on the drum applied to souvenir products, such as jewelry or other design products. Points of departure are the material souvenirs themselves, contextualized with in situ presentations in shops, on the net, and in social media, and linked to tourism imaginaries. The article tries to show how this in turn is related to still prevailing, general Western understandings of Indigenous Sámi religion and spiritualty. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
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22 pages, 388 KiB  
Article
Renegotiating Relations, Structuring Justice: Institutional Reconciliation with the Saami in the 1990–2020 Reconciliation Processes of the Church of Sweden and the Church of Norway
by Helga Sofia West
Religions 2020, 11(7), 343; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11070343 - 09 Jul 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2513
Abstract
Social reconciliation has received much attention in Christian churches since the late 1980s. Both the Church of Sweden and the Church of Norway initiated reconciliation processes with the Saami (also “Sami” or “Sámi”), the indigenous people of Northern Europe, at the beginning of [...] Read more.
Social reconciliation has received much attention in Christian churches since the late 1980s. Both the Church of Sweden and the Church of Norway initiated reconciliation processes with the Saami (also “Sami” or “Sámi”), the indigenous people of Northern Europe, at the beginning of the 1990s. As former state churches, they bear the colonial burden of having converted the Saami to Lutheranism. To make amends for their excesses in the missionary field, both Scandinavian churches have aimed at structural changes to include Saaminess in their church identities. In this article, I examine how the Church of Sweden and the Church of Norway understand reconciliation in relation to the Saami in their own church documents using conceptual analysis. I argue that the Church of Sweden treats reconciliation primarily as a secular concept without binding it to the doctrine of reconciliation, making the Church’s agenda theologically weak, whereas the Church of Norway utilizes Christian resources in its comprehensive approach to reconciliation with the Saami. This article shows both the challenges and contributions of the Church of Sweden and the Church of Norway to the hotly debated discussions on truth and reconciliation in the Nordic Saami context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
15 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Spiritual Activism. Saving Mother Earth in Sápmi
by Siv Ellen Kraft
Religions 2020, 11(7), 342; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11070342 - 09 Jul 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3076
Abstract
Arctic Shaman Circle was founded in Oslo in November 2018. This article discusses what the Circle’s founding document refers to as “spiritual activism”, and how this was translated into action over the year that followed. I will follow one case in particular, which [...] Read more.
Arctic Shaman Circle was founded in Oslo in November 2018. This article discusses what the Circle’s founding document refers to as “spiritual activism”, and how this was translated into action over the year that followed. I will follow one case in particular, which concerns plans for a power plant at the base of the mountain Aahkansnjurhtjie in the South Sámi area. Aahkansnjurhtjie is a sacred Sámi mountain, the shamans claim, and should be protected accordingly. My focus is on the learning processes that have emerged as the shamans have explored and argued the case, locally and nationally. I examine the negotiations that have happened along the way, in a political climate that has so far been hostile to religious arguments of any sorts, and in this example, involves a group that is contested among the Sámi. Finally, I look at the role of “indigeneity” in regard to claims, performances and responses to these particular concerns, as these have played out in different parts of the Sámi geography. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
22 pages, 12131 KiB  
Article
Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway
by Marte Spangen and Tiina Äikäs
Religions 2020, 11(7), 317; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11070317 - 27 Jun 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3294
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
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22 pages, 3686 KiB  
Article
The Importance of the Sun Symbol in the Restoration of Sámi Spiritual Traditions and Healing Practice
by Francis Joy
Religions 2020, 11(6), 270; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/rel11060270 - 28 May 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 11868
Abstract
Today, artefacts of the past have immense value for Sámi shamans, artists, and custodians of culture who are reengaging with their spiritual traditions. A cultural revival is taking place through various applications and approaches. Henceforth, there is an ongoing process of creating a [...] Read more.
Today, artefacts of the past have immense value for Sámi shamans, artists, and custodians of culture who are reengaging with their spiritual traditions. A cultural revival is taking place through various applications and approaches. Henceforth, there is an ongoing process of creating a restorative framework mainly based on the work of individuals, through which, drum making and decoration, joiking, sacrificial acts, and forms of divination consisting of various sorts of practices are emerging. One of the central symbols that features prominently amongst the Sámi in relation to their prehistoric cosmology and reuse of symbolism in different contexts with regard to spiritual traditions that helps link past with the present is the Sun. Therefore, the purpose of the descriptive analysis in this research paper examines the application of the Sun symbol to new types of drums made by Peter Armstrand who is a Sámi person, for healing and identity building and some of the contexts they appear within. As a method to elaborate on how the past is utilized in the present, the research material constitutes one short case study involving Armstrand who is a Sámi drum maker and likewise, a healer. To help broaden the fieldwork materials collected, I also refer to an old photograph of a drum and its cosmological landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sámi Religion: Religious Identities, Practices and Dynamics)
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