S ä i ʹ m m õ s v u ä z z l a // N e t w o r k m e m b e r s
Nuõrttsää'mkultuurfondd // Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation
Mari Gauriloff
Mirva Tapaninen
Ä'vv Saa´mi muzei // Ä'vv Skolt Sámi Museum
Maria Kemi Rein
Ájtte duottar- ja sámemusea // Ájtte Swedish Mountain and Sami Museum
Maria Nordvall
Elina Nygård
Jiõččnaž vuäzzla // Independent members
Hanna-Maaria Kiprianoff, leu´ddjeei
Tuuli Malla, čeäppõsneǩ, koordinaattor // artist & coordinator
Venke Tœrmænen, craft artisan
<< Forced Migration exhibition at Ájtte museum included a model of the Skolt Saami Gramota Archive.
Säi'mm group and Ájtte museum staff discussed the Forced Migration exhibition and related histories while making craft.
Á J T T E M U S E U M, Jokkmokk, May 2022
Film screening
Documentary film:
Maaddâr ääkk Šaamšiǩ– Oldemors lue
Short films
Kaissi-U’lljan-Mä’rjj-U’lljan – Heidi Gauriloff
Vue’ddin njõđđum võõnâs – Revitalizing a traditional Skolt Saami root-sewn boat
Äkk, Jaakko Gauriloff
Skaidd: Sild
Õõutveäkka, Together, Doing Together
Säi’mm network hosted a film screening with long documentary film and short films. The 60 min documentary ‘Maaddâr ääkk Šaamšiǩ– Oldemors lue’ told a story of making a Skolt Saami wife’s headwear. Artisan Venke Törmänen who is the lead character in the documentary was present to discuss the process.
After a coffee break there was a series of short films including Skolt Saami music videos, craft, language and culture curated by Mari Gauriloff from Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation. The Foundation has hosted Kolttakino (Skolt Saami Cinema) events for many years.
The audience at the screening mostly consisted of students learning Sámi craft, duodji at Samernas Education Center in Jokkmokk. After the screening there was a lively discussion between the Säi'mm group and the students.
During the trip the Säi’mm group members got to know Ájtte - Swedish mountain and Sámi museum staff and collections and participated in two conferences: AIDA - Indigenous Design Archives conference and Repatriation conference dealing with returning Sámi remains.
Further collaboration born from the trip: Artisan Venke Törmänen was invited to come back to teach Skolt Saami craft in Jokkmokk. Members of Ájtte museum were inspired to learn more about Skolt Saami culture and are interested in further collaboration to include Skolt Saami culture in their future exhibitions.
Ä ' V V M U S E U M, Neiden, September 2022
In Neiden Säi’mm group members set up the ‘Pechenga in Maps’ exhibition at Ä’vv Skolt Saami Museum. The exhibition tells about the history of the Pechanga area from multiple perspectives through maps, photographs and text. Ä’vv museum had translated the Finnish exhibition material into Norwegian and both language versions were displayed. The ‘Pechanga in Maps’ exhibition opening included a presentation by Irja Jefremoff which was interpreted into Norwegian. The presentation provided an overview of the history of Pechenga and was live streamed. Afterwards Jefremoff showed images from her archives.
The opening featured leu’dd by Hanna-Maaria Kiprianoff.
Säi’mm group had a guided tour at the museum’s permanent collections with Venke Törmänen.
After the workshops Säi’mm group had online meetings to discuss the collaboration so far and shared thoughts about future possibilities. During two meetings, we were joined by members of ‘Taking Back the Museum!’ artistic research group in order to share perspectives on de-colonial museum practices.
Project participants highlighted the meaning of personal connections and friendships that were formed in the course of the project. The project received thanks for serving a safe space for dealing with various elements of Saami culture.
R E I N D E E R F A R M S A N I L A, Kirakkajärvi, September 2022
Maria Nordvall and Elina Kuhmunen gave a presentation about Saami root work from the Jokkmokk region. The presentation was followed by discussion about Skolt Saami root work and participants were able to hold and get to know root objects on loan from Ájtte museum. The exchange between Ájtte museum’s staff and the audience was fruitful in adding to knowledge for both parties about uses of objects and processes of making and dying root craft.
In preparation for the presentation, Nordvall and Kuhmunen visited Norrbottens museum in Luleå to learn about root work for a lecture in September. The museum had an exhibition about different types of craft made using tree roots. Nordvall and Kuhmunen had a meeting with the staff and got a tour of their magazine to see more objects and talk about them.
S ä i ' m m
S k o l t S a a m i c u l t u r e w o r k s h o p s
In 2022 Säi'mm network hosted a series of workshops about Skolt Saami culture.
Ájtte Museum, Jokkmokk - May 2022:
Film screening and discussions
Reindeer Farm Sanila, Kirakkajärvi - September 2022:
Craft and leu'dd presentations and workshops
Ä'vv Museum, Neiden - September 2022:
Exhibition opening and presentation
Hanna-Maaria Kiprianoff gave a presentation and workshop about leu'dd (Skolt Saami vocal tradition) and Skolt Saami katrill dancing.
The workshop included writing our own texts to 'Pleäss pleäss Peddaris' leu'dd melody in groups and performing them.
In addition to the workshops, Säi'mm group visited Inari where we had a guided tour and conversation with Eeva Kristiina Harlin at Siida Museum.
In Sevettijärvi we had a guided tour of the village and enjoyed a karaoke evening with villagers at the legandary Sevettijärvi Bar.
At Kirakkajärvi Mirva Tapaninen and Venke Törmänen guided a workshop on wool yarn finger weaving, assisted by Katja Sanila.
Some participants continued finger weaving until late in the evening.
The timing of the project after the closures during the pandemic meant that it felt especially important to be together and learn from each other in person.
