Nils Johan Labba, A working in bone meant to be worn at the neck
Healing by making – duodji as a way of life
A talk by Liisa-Rávná Finbog and Tatjana Kolpus
The Sámi, a people Indigenous to northern Fenno-Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula in the Russian federation, have a long history and a rich cultural heritage. During the colonization of their customary regions (Sápmi) and the consequent assimilation politics of four different nation states, much of the Sámi population experienced loss of language, cultural heritage, both material and immaterial, and ethnic identities. In the last decades, those having first-hand experienced colonization and assimilation, as well as their decendants have begun a painstaking process of regaining what was lost and healing their colonial trauma.
For this talk Liisa-Rávná Finbog will start by exploring some of the ways in which such healing may be achieved, presenting the potential of learning duodji, customary Sámi handicraft, as a means to not only facilitate the return of traditional knowledge (árbediehtu) and epistemology, but also strenghtens connections to heritage, to ancestors, to kin (fuolkit), to community and to individual identities.
The initial talk is followed up by a dialogue in which Finbog together with Tatjana Kolpus and audience discuss aspects of the talk from the point of view of praticioners of duodji, or duojárs, artists and curators.
Liisa-Rávná Finbog is a Sámi archeologist and museologist and is currently pursuing a PhD in museology titled “Negotiating Self – the crafting of Sámi identity within a museological framework”. She is also an accomplished practicioner of duodji, and heads her local chapter of the national Sámiid Duodji, Oslo Sámiid Duodji – an interest group working to promote and safeguard duodji – giving courses and workshops in traditional Sámi arts.
Tatjana Kolpus is a Sámi politician and cultural worker actively engaged in processes of decolonization of traditional Sámi arts. She is a practicioner of duodji, and sits on the board of Oslo Sámiid Duodji where she also gives courses and workshops in traditional Sámi arts.
This event takes place as part of the residency 'Carrying Histories' which looks at the responsibility and burden of working with historical subject matter, with the aim of building cross-cultural awareness of past and present power structures. The residency is developed with Nairobi based artist Syowia Kyambi in collaboration with Oslo Kunstforening (OK). PRAKSIS and OK would like to thank the Goethe-Institut Norwegen, Oslo kommune and Kulturrådet for their support of the residency and its events. Further information on the residency is available here.
