On our second full day in Oslo, our class visited the open-air Norwegian Museum of Cultural History and took a closer look at the Sámi cultural exhibit. The exhibit is a circular room with artifacts displayed on every wall, surrounding a scene featuring a goahti, a classic Sámi tent used by the Reindeer Sámi, as well as several Sámi dressed for the cold and a reindeer. The various relics range from traditional costumes to art to literature to jewelry to so much more. Near each display there is a placard explaining what it features and what their purpose was. There are some highlights of the exhibit apart from the center scene that are quite eye-catching.
The large, diverse costume collection, containing garments from all across Norway, is a direct opposition to the assimilation practice of “Norwegianization” that suppressed or eradicated many expressions of Sámi culture, including that of traditional dress. Currently, there is active work within the Sámi community to restore this tradition by recreating costumes using older patterns, as well as creating brand new garments. However, it is uncommon to see traditional outfits just walking around the city, as “Norwegianization” policies are still socially reinforced, even if they are not legally binding.
There is also an abundance of artwork in various forms. Some Sámi artists draw heavily on tradition and create duodji – Sámi crafts or folk art – from wood, reindeer remains, and other natural materials. Others do not rely solely on their culture for inspiration and incorporate more “mainstream” art styles and ideas into their work while still representing Sámi culture, like Sámi-Norwegian singer Mari Boine, who has won several prestigious Norwegian awards for her music that mixes traditional Sámi yoiks with rock or jazz elements. Still other artists fall into the activist sphere, creating posters and paintings that call for the liberation of the Sámi people while highlighting traditional cultural imagery. Although the rights and livelihoods of the Sámi people have greatly improved over the decades, including the implementation of a Sámi parliament in 1989 that works in tandem with the Norwegian government, there is still much to be improved upon.
After spending some time in the Sámi cultural exhibit, we went on a guided tour of some old buildings that had been relocated to the museum, including a “party house” and a stave church dating back to medieval times. The church was standing room only, and our tour guide told us that when it was in use it was segregated by both class and gender; the rich were situated in the front because “they could pay to be closer to God,” and the men were positioned on the right-hand side because it was where the sun would be during the service (and the side where the fire exit was). Luckily, the museum does not enforce either of these rules, so I got to stand on the right at the very front. It was very cold, and standing still in a drafty church did not help, but it was amazing to see some of the architecture that has lasted for centuries and could stand for years to come.
