International conference “Oovtâst – Together. New concepts, theories and methodologies on Saami studies” will be held in Inari, Finland, on September 25–27.
In
recent decades Saami research has gone to new directions and become
more multivoiced. The aim of the “Oovtâst – Together” conference is to
chart this new multivoiced research and to find out at what point Saami
studies are today and what are the main questions, new thoughts, and
directions at the present. It will offer a multidisciplinary venue for
finding new methodological, conceptual and epistemological approaches to
Saami studies.
Themes of the conference are Saami culture,
history and cultural practices; Language, knowledge and socialization;
and Saami society. The conference will bring together researchers,
students, and artists specialized in Saami studies and culture. In
addition it offers a forum for discussion concerning comparative
indigenous studies. The conference lectures are open to general public,
too.
Keynote lecturers include Researcher Kaisa Rautio-Helander
from the Sámi University College; Director Else Grete Broderstad from
the Centre of Sámi Studies at the University of Tromso; University
Lecturer in Inari Sámi language Marja-Liisa Olthuis from the University
of Oulu; Researcher Torunn Pettersen from the Sámi University
College/University of Tromso; Researcher in Political Sciences Sanna
Valkonen from the University of Lapland; and Professor of Saami Culture
Veli-Pekka Lehtola from the University of Oulu.
The conference is organized jointly by University of Lapland, University of Oulu and the Sámi Education Institute.
Call for abstracts
The
organizing committee invites the submission of abstracts for papers to
be held in the conference. Topics can relate to different areas of Saami
studies, including for example archaeology, ethnography, sociology,
political science, legal sciences and linguistics. Please submit the
abstracts at the latest by April 30, 2013 – please note the extended
abstract deadline due to great interest. Languages in the conference are
Saami languages, Finnish and English.
More information:
Sanna Valkonen, tel. +358 40 484 4238, sanna.valkonen (at) ulapland.fi
Veli-Pekka Lehtola, tel. +358 40 578 0492, veli-pekka.lehtola (at) oulu.fi
Programme
ULapland/Communications/SV