Sápmi Today with Christian Hans Pedersen

The Sámi (Northern Sámi: Sápmelaččat or Sámit) are the only recognized Indigenous people in Europe, whose lands, Sápmi, are claimed and divided by the Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Russian nation-states. Despite the central roles they’ve played in the political, economic, and cultural histories of Northern Europe, the Sámi are commonly depicted as ahistorical wildlings whose lands are an unused frontier, ripe for development. This engaging series of lectures illuminates how untrue those depictions are.

About the series:

• In “Sámi History 101,” we’ll examine the fundamentals of Sámi history and culture, surveying oral histories, subsistence practices, societal organization, and Sámi cultural icons.
• In session two, “Sámi History 102,” we’ll expand on the topics in session one by inspecting how historical relations and archaeological, linguistic, and genetic studies contribute to the study of Sámi history.
• In “Sámi Histories of Colonization,” we’ll dive into how encroachment, taxation, and borders, among others, constructed and construct Fennoscandic colonialisms, creating a timeline of how colonization has looked and still looks in Sápmi.
• In the final segment, “Sápmi Today,” we’ll trace those legacies to the present to contextualize Sámi survivance, or survival through resistance, by examining political organizing, rights, and contemporary forms of colonization in Sápmi.

Additional information:

• A recommended reading and media list will be mailed out to all participants following the first session.
• These live lectures will be held on Wednesday evenings over Zoom.
• Attendance requires a reliable internet connection and a device with audio and video functionality.
• Advanced registration required; each lecture has a separate registration.