The past 2 days were occupied by renting a car in Jokkmok (I have it until Friday morning) I could experience driving on an ice road, all the cars are using spikes wheals, so it still has a god adherence to the road.
In Jokkmok, I was in the Sápmi Museum, for 5 hours, I do know much more about the culture of the native people living in the north of Scandinavia (not only in Sweden, Sami are also part of Russia, Finland and Norway)
Here is their colorful flag...
The Sami had many rituals and specific clothing depending on the region they come from. But nowadays, there are more looking like you and me :)
here is a picture of the different clothing trends depending on the Sweden region where these people live:
The Sami ritual was oriented around drums, each family own it's own Drum. But the Shaman was the holy man of Sámi society.
He (occasionally she), functioned as doctor, adjudicator, religious specialist or advisor through the gift of being able to contact the gods or the dead in the spiritual world.--
For the Christian, the Sámi drum was the manifest evidence of heathenism. Mass confiscation of drum was a method the authorities hoped would wipe out the ancient religion.
Ájtte's exibition guide
Here is one of the 70 drums existing today:
Some of the sápmi people still live from their reindeer horde which provide meat (money from the slaughter house), fur, and eventually the horn is used for making knife or jewelry.
Nowadays, the community has become sedentary, since the transportation (car, snowmobile, ...) are more convenient so that people do not have to follow the reindeer. Many of the wealth from Sweden comes from the Sápmi region, which were long exploited ignoring the Sápmi and there opinions.
I could also notice some wonderful painting at the museum gift shop, the work of Lars Pirak and it's amazing painting (actually one special technique is used: Lirografier)
more to read about him at: http://www.pirak.se/index_eng.html
Lars Pirak died 2 years ago, but I had the chance to meet his son, Mikael Pirak, who is following his father steps
Hejdo
Eric is so right! The samis deserve all our attention, they live in a fragile environment more often in harmony with nature than we, trying to preserve the beuty of their traditions. They tell a stry of mankind that we need to listen to. I'm so proud that my young relative disclose all this knowlege about the north of my "new" country.
ReplyDeleteMerci jeune homme, tu rends le monde un peu plus ouvert d'esprit
un jetz ghets ghe schloofa!
Well all the pleasure is mine, thank you first for giving me the idea to go to Jokkmokk, the rest came from itself :)
ReplyDeleteUnd jetz gehts los... Norway I am coming ;)