Sami Cultural Center of North America

Mikkel Berg-Nordlie
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ČSV - What does it mean, and where did it come from?
(Based on this article in the Great Norwegian Encyclopedia: https://snl.no/%C4%8CSV)

The 1970s were a time of Sámi revival: language and culture was no longer to be kept hidden. At the same time, the Alta Conflict became a major political issue in Norway: Sámi activists and environmentalists joined forces against a large-scale hydropower project in Finnmark. In this meeting between culture and politics, the symbol ČSV was born.
The origins of ČSV
ČSV can be traced back to Anders Guttormsen (1908–1986), editor of the Christian Sámi-language newspaper Nuorttanaste, and teacher Johan Jernsletten (1940–2017). Important inspiraton came from Sámi protests against flooding the village of Máze, which started in 1970.
In the fall of 1972, a seminar on Sámi literature was held in Sirbmá, Finnmark. Those present were presented with these three letters and asked to give creative suggestions as to what this "abbreviation" could stand for. There were many suggestions - for example Čájet sámevuođa ("show your Sáminess"), Čájet sámi vuoiŋŋa ("show Sámi spirit") and Čiegus sámi veahka ("hidden Sámi force").
In the wake of the Sirbmá seminar, ČSV was spread through art and through articles.
A symbol, a slogan, and an attitude
Gradually, ČSV established itself as a symbol for people who rejected the norm of Norwegianization, that you should hide your Sáminess, and instead wanted to show their Sáminess clearly and with pride. The three letters also became a slogan during the Alta Conflict, which peaked in the years 1979–1982.
Terms such as "ČSV-ers" and "the ČSV movement" arose to describe Sámi who were particularly active in the struggle for political change. Depending on where one stood politically, such words could be meant as praise, or as the opposite.
ČSV was again widely used as a rallying cry and symbol during the Fosen Conflict, which peaked in 2023. Again, Sámi activists and environmentalists joined forces - this time to protest wind turbine plants that had been set up illegally on Sámi reindeer herding lands in Trøndelag.
An ambiguous abbreviation
The emergence of ČSV can be compared to how other minorities made slogans for pride and political change during the sixties and seventies, such as "Black Power" and "pride", and not least "Red Power" - this was a time when strong ties developed between Sámi and American Indigenous political activists.
However, the ČSV concept has also, from the very beginning, been characterized by ambiguity and artistic freedom, which has caused different people to understand it and use it in different ways. Because of this flexibility, ČSV has been called “the first meme of the Sámi” (Ánde Somby at the 50th anniversary seminar for ČSV, Sirbmá, 2022).
For that reason, it isn’t all that easy to sum up what exactly lies at the "core" of ČSV - but perhaps you can say that to use “ČSV” is to declare that you want to fight for the survival of Sámi culture, and that you support the Sámi struggle to keep existing as a distinct people.

-MBN

See the movie after our 10th anniversary open house on October 4, 2-4:30 at the Sami Cultural Center.

Help us celebrate 10 years of the Sami Cultural Center at an open house on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m. at the Center. Everyone welcome!!

The Sami Cultural Center will be at FinnFest with our Akanidi exhibit, a table with the Kathryn A. Martin Library in the Tori, and with programs by Chelsey Miller and Marlene Wisuri.
Maybe you can win a ticket to Finnish Sápmi!

FinnFest Pass & FREE Flight to Finland anyone?

You don't want to wait until FinnFest to get your Passes!

Buy your Festival Pass Now, and get automatically entered to win a free round-trip flight to Finland on Finnair!

A big thanks to Finnair for making this special offer happen.

GET YOUR FINNFEST PASS HERE:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finnfest-2024-events-tickets-827621948527?aff=oddtdtcreator&mc_eid=UNIQID&mc_cid=c1bb94c5b1

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>> 5-Day and 1-Day Pass purchased before July 17 for FinnFest 2024 will qualify for the drawing.
>> The winner will be announced at FinnFest on Sunday, July 28
>> The free flight is valid until August 31, 2025

We're looking forward to FinnFest this year. There are going to be a couple of Sámi related presentations, and we will be sharing a table again this year in the Tori with the UMD Kathryn A. Martin Library. We hope to see you there! You can check out the very full schedule at https://2024.finnfest.us/events/

Congratulations to Siida!

Sámi Museum Siida, EMYA2024 Nominee Sámi Museum Siida, Inari, FinlandInterviewed in the video are: - Sámi Museum Director Taina Pieski - Professor emeritus and cultural scriptwriter of the exhi...

We were excited to hear that Tomas Colbengtson is receiving the Queen Sonia Print Award! Tomas' work is on display at the American Swedish Institute (and All My Relations Arts) until May 26!

https://www.queensonjaprintaward.no/news/sami-artist-wins-worlds-most-important-prize-for-printmaking

Important work.

Please join us at 9am on Monday, May 6, in Bunnell 302 on UAF Troth Yeddha' Campus, when Varpu Lotvonen will be defending her PhD Thesis '"Ballad of the Laavlaaqs:" The Relational Worlds of Sámi Reindeer Herders in Alaska.' Please contact Varpu at to request the link for joining on Zoom.

A prolific author, instructor, and highly valued colleague and collaborator to many in the UAF and Arctic research communities, Varpu is a also master skin sewer, forager, stilt walker, and fire juggler - longtime member of Fairbanks Fire and Flow - the pursuits she continued while being a Doctoral Candidate and a mom. We cannot guarantee that every one of these skills will be represented when we gather on the morning of Monday, May 6th, but we are very certain you will enjoy learning about the research Varpu has been doing in Alaska, Norway, and several other locations while writing her dissertation. We are also certain that any university department in the world be lucky to have Varpu Lotvonen as a PhD student, but it is the UAF Anthropology Department that gets to host her dissertation defense!

The defense will be evaluated by the Graduate Advisory Committee:
Dr. Patrick Plattet, Chair
Dr. David Koester
Dr. Michael Koskey
Dr. Amber Lincoln
Dr. Sveta Yamin-Pasternak

We are pleased to feature the dissertation abstract.

"Ballad of the Laavlaaqs:" The Relational Worlds of Sámi Reindeer Herders in Alaska.
Abstract
The recruitment of Sámi reindeer herders from North Sápmi to Alaska by the United States government, starting in 1894, opened a new transnational space between Fennoscandia and North America. Known for their deep Indigenous knowledge of reindeer herding, Sámi experts were hired to pass on their art to Alaska Native apprentices and facilitate the expansion of reindeer herding in Alaska at the turn of the 20th century. The legacies of their involvement, which lasted until 1937, include: family lines that unite people in Sápmi and North America, unique artistic expressions, broad circulation of visual culture, and multi-faceted interest in Alaska Sámi ethnohistory both in North America and in Sápmi. However, the nature of the various contributions made by the Sámi diaspora in Alaska is not well understood.
To shed new light on the role played by Sámi reindeer herders in Alaska and its far-reaching impact, this research utilizes a multi-method approach that combines critical analysis of archival sources and collections from North America and Sápmi, cross-examination of oral history sources from Alaska and Sápmi, ethnographic fieldwork in Northwest Alaska (Unalakleet, Shishmaref, Bethel) and Norwegian Sápmi (Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino), and photo-elicitation fieldwork in Guovdageaidnu. Through these methods, I offer a comprehensive exploration of the Sámi participation in the Alaska Reindeer Service—a profoundly cosmopolitan endeavor—as captured in the reporting of government agents and in the words and memories of Sámi herders themselves (and their descendants). The use of archival photographs as a tool for photo elicitation has been instrumental in augmenting the existing data and enhancing the documentation of Sámi perspectives.

Focusing on Sámi perspectives reveals a relational world in which ecological, cultural, and political (colonial) forces intersect in many different ways and many different places. My analysis of the written bureaucracy of the Reindeer Service highlights shifting views of reindeer herding within governing bodies, and the role government agents played in eroding the influence of Sámi herders in Alaska. In contrast, oral history sources tell a story of resiliency and adaptation. The Sámi diaspora in Alaska, and reindeer herders in particular, changed and thrived through sustained contacts with Alaska Native communities and cultures. In the end, however, new legislation passed in 1937 made it impossible for Sámi herders to keep doing what they did best—caring for (their) reindeer. Some moved out of Alaska, some stayed, and some went back ‘home’ to Sápmi. Following these trajectories, and through collaboration with various Sámi institutions as well as knowledge bearers in Guovdageaidnu, this dissertation ends with an investigation of the transnational connections built among descendant communities in North America and Sápmi. My findings contribute to anthropological discussions of Circumpolar reindeer herding (past and present), Sámi ethnohistory, (multi)cultural encounters, imagined communities, as well as to ongoing conversations within the field of Indigenous studies, particularly regarding Northern Indigenous diasporas and the incorporation of visual materials as part of a decolonizing research agenda.

Coming up starting tomorrow, April 26 and 27. Join us in McGregor, MN!

Celebrate the earth!

This incredible rock island is in Lake Superior a number of miles up the road from the home of the Sami Cultural Center of North America in Duluth, Minnesota

Happening today in Duluth…

An exciting event coming up on April 16 and 17! Tickets are free but registration is required. The event will be held at the American Swedish Institute

The event for the 16th: https://asimn.org/event/juoiggas-sami-national-theater/
The event on the 17th: https://asimn.org/event/juoiggas-sami-national-theater-2/

JUOIGGAS! Sámi National Theater - American Swedish Institute Join ASI for a special performance from the Sámi National Theater Beaivváš. Immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of JUOIGGAS!—a concert that guides audiences through a mesmerizing musical voyage.

We're excited to be a co-presenter with our friends at the American Swedish Institute to welcome the Sámi National Theater Beaivváš and their production of JUOIGGAS! Shows will take place on April 16 and 17. For more information visit the ASI website linked below.

JUOIGGAS! Sámi National Theater - American Swedish Institute Join ASI for a special performance from the Sámi National Theater Beaivváš. Immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of JUOIGGAS!—a concert that guides audiences through a mesmerizing musical voyage.

Th exhibit is well worth seeing! Check it out if you can!

Every Thursday, ASI opens its doors for FREE exploration! Dive into art galleries, wander through the historic Turnblad Mansion, and be sure to swing by for some happy hour specials. 🏰

Tomorrow with a presentation by Sami Cultural Center board member Chelsey Miller. Hope you can make it!

Our Savior's Evangelical Lutheran Church Elca