The seminar will look at Sámi and indigenous views on museums, museum practices and the safeguarding of cultural heritage. The seminar will be arranged by the Sámi Museum Siida, the University of Lapland and the Giellagas Institute of the University of Oulu in cooperation with EMRIP, the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The seminar Time is the best teacher will culminate in an introduction of the manuscript for the new permanent exhibition of Siida. At the seminar, both scriptwriters of the exhibition – Professor of Sámi Culture Veli-Pekka Lehtola and Protection Biologist Matti Mela – will tell about the manuscript and the process of writing it. After their addresses, the audience has an opportunity to ask about and comment the exhibition manuscript. The purpose of this is to open the exhibition process to the public and to give the community the opportunity to participate in the creation of the exhibition. The renewal of Siida’s basic exhibition is part of Siida’s extension project, and the renewed permanent exhibition will be opened in 2022 when the extension has been completed.

The seminar is open and free for everyone. The speeches will be given in North Sámi, Finnish and English, and simultaneous interpretation will be available in North Sámi, Finnish and English.

The seminar Time is the best teacher continues the closer cooperation that the Sámi Museum Siida launched with the other Sámi museums through its 2017 seminar Indigeneity in the Museum. This year’s seminar will bring together not only professionals working in Sámi museums, but also other experts on cultural heritage. In addition to professionals, local Sámi will have the opportunity to express their views. Through a panel and a seminar that is open for everyone, Sámi can participate in a discussion on their own cultural heritage as well as its administration and future. The seminar is an important discussion forum for Sámi experts working with cultural heritage, but it also introduces international guests to the Land of the Sámi, Sáminess and Sámi cultural heritage.

Culturally and Socially Sustainable Museum. Reframing the Policies of Representing Indigenous Sámi Culture in the Sámi Museum Siida (2016–2018) is a key project of the University of Lapland and the Sámi Museum Siida that has been funded by the Academy of Finland. The objective of the project is to create and develop Sámi museum practices and to create, together with the Northern Lapland Nature Centre of Metsähallitus, a new exhibition manuscript for the Sámi Museum Siida’s basic exhibitions.

Seminar program

Further information:

Áile Aikio, Curator
Sámi Museum Siida
aile.aikio@samimuseum.fi

Sari Valkonen, Museum director, Sámi Museum Siida
sari.valkonen@samimuseum.fi