History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case
This study aims to understand some of the complexities of the Sami identity amongst young Sami women in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The Sami people are the only indigenous people living in the European Union and as many indigenous people around the globe, they are facing issues such as struggles o...
| Autor principal: | |
|---|---|
| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
| Publicado: |
SLU/Dept. of Urban and Rural Development
2020
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855572671510609920 |
|---|---|
| author | Nordlund, Izabel |
| author_browse | Nordlund, Izabel |
| author_facet | Nordlund, Izabel |
| author_sort | Nordlund, Izabel |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | This study aims to understand some of the complexities of the Sami identity
amongst young Sami women in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The Sami people
are the only indigenous people living in the European Union and as many indigenous
people around the globe, they are facing issues such as struggles over
land rights, health issues and fragmented identities. The point of departure for
this research is the settlement of the Girjas case, an end to a ten-year struggle
about the authority over the fishing and hunting rights in the area between the
Girjas Sami village and the Swedish Government. The Girjas case has given
rise to a debate about indigenous rights and the Sami identity. The purpose of
this thesis is to explore the complexity of the Sami identity to understand the
perception of who is considered to be a genuine Sami today. To do so, I have
interviewed eight young Sami women. To be able to understand their stories,
and turning their words into a wider context, four main theoretical concepts
have been used; identity, gender, intersectionality and heritage. The stories of
the participants show that the Sami identity is perceived in many ways; it can
be born out of upbringing, heritage and way of life, and not necessarily by
ancestors only. Typical cultural carriers or symbols can confirm the Sami
identity, but the participants mean that those are not a must. Different Sami
identities are clashing with the created stereotypical image of who the genuine
Sami is. This research shows that the Girjas case unite the Sami women in this
thesis, regardless of their backgrounds or how they perceive their Sami identity.
From the interviews, it appears that participants share a narrative of the
importance of passing on the Sami heritage, never leaving the future generations
with insecurity about their Sami identity. To understand the complex
Sami identity, greater knowledge about Sami people and their history must be
spread. By acknowledging that the Sami identity is not homogenous, further
polarisation within the Sami community could be prevent, affecting political
decisions ahead. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU15989 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Urban and Rural Development |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Urban and Rural Development |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU159892020-09-12T01:02:10Z History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case Nordlund, Izabel Sami people identity gender heritage the Girjas case This study aims to understand some of the complexities of the Sami identity amongst young Sami women in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The Sami people are the only indigenous people living in the European Union and as many indigenous people around the globe, they are facing issues such as struggles over land rights, health issues and fragmented identities. The point of departure for this research is the settlement of the Girjas case, an end to a ten-year struggle about the authority over the fishing and hunting rights in the area between the Girjas Sami village and the Swedish Government. The Girjas case has given rise to a debate about indigenous rights and the Sami identity. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the complexity of the Sami identity to understand the perception of who is considered to be a genuine Sami today. To do so, I have interviewed eight young Sami women. To be able to understand their stories, and turning their words into a wider context, four main theoretical concepts have been used; identity, gender, intersectionality and heritage. The stories of the participants show that the Sami identity is perceived in many ways; it can be born out of upbringing, heritage and way of life, and not necessarily by ancestors only. Typical cultural carriers or symbols can confirm the Sami identity, but the participants mean that those are not a must. Different Sami identities are clashing with the created stereotypical image of who the genuine Sami is. This research shows that the Girjas case unite the Sami women in this thesis, regardless of their backgrounds or how they perceive their Sami identity. From the interviews, it appears that participants share a narrative of the importance of passing on the Sami heritage, never leaving the future generations with insecurity about their Sami identity. To understand the complex Sami identity, greater knowledge about Sami people and their history must be spread. By acknowledging that the Sami identity is not homogenous, further polarisation within the Sami community could be prevent, affecting political decisions ahead. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka den komplexa samiska identiteten hos unga samiska kvinnor i Norrbottens län, Sverige. Samerna är det enda urfolk som lever inom den Europeiska unionen och precis som många andra urfolk runt om i världen måste de kämpa för rätten till land och vatten, samtidigt som de påverkas av hälsoproblem och splittrade identiteter. Utgångspunkten för den här uppsatsen är Girjasmålet, en tio år lång process emellan Girjas sameby och den svenska staten. Målet har handlat om vem som har jakt- och fiskerättigheter i området, där samebyn hävdar sin rätt genom att åberopa urminnes hävd. Girjasmålet har väckt debatt om urfolksrättigheter och den samiska identiteten. Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka den komplexa samiska identiteten för att förstå vem som anses vara same idag. Intervjuer med åtta unga samiska kvinnor har legat till grund för det. För att förstå deras berättelser i en större kontext, har fyra teoretiska ramverk använts; identitet, genus, intersektionalitet och kulturarv. Informanternas berättelser visar att de ser på den samiska identiteten på olika sätt; den samiska identiteten behöver inte grunda sig i enbart släktningar, utan kan också skapas ur uppväxt, kulturarv och livssyn. Typiska kulturbärare så som duodji, de samiska språken och renen kan bekräfta den samiska identiteten, men de är inget måste. Olika samiska identiteter går i klinch med den skapade stereotypa bilden av vad en same är. Studien visar också på att informanterna förenas genom Girjasmålet, oavsett deras bakgrund eller vilken samisk grupp de tillhör. I intervjuerna lyfts vikten av att föra det samiska arvet vidare. Informanterna vill att kommande generationer inte ska behöva känna en osäkerhet kring deras samiska identitet. För att förstå den komplexa samiska identiteten måste större kunskap om samers situation och historia finnas. Genom att visa att den samiska identiteten inte är en gemensam kulturell identitet, kan ytterligare polarisering inom det samiska samhället undvikas. Detta kan i förlängningen påverka hur poliska beslut tas i framtiden. SLU/Dept. of Urban and Rural Development 2020 H2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/15989/ |
| spellingShingle | Sami people identity gender heritage the Girjas case Nordlund, Izabel History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case |
| title | History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case |
| title_full | History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case |
| title_fullStr | History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case |
| title_full_unstemmed | History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case |
| title_short | History Has Its Eyes on You : a story about the identity of young Sami women, following the Girjas case |
| title_sort | history has its eyes on you : a story about the identity of young sami women, following the girjas case |
| topic | Sami people identity gender heritage the Girjas case |