Living in two worlds

That is the name of an exhibition, which started today in Kiruna. It was made by young people, from three minoritiy peoples: Sámi, Jews and Roma. It is about what is is to be young and be 100% Swedish as well as 100% Sámi, or Jew or Roma. The exhibition is documentet at http://www.riksutstallningar.se/templates/Exhibition____5691.aspx (in swedish but there are some pics also). It is not about historical issues, not about the classical view of Sámi with reindeer in the mountains, but rather about identity in a modern world. The exhibition is good, and even better to hear the participants, eleven young people, telling about their experiences together. A report (also in swedish) can be downloaded at the website of the exhibition.
The experiences would be much the same I suspect, for young people belonging to other minority peoples in other countries. It would not be bad for Riksutställningar to have some info on this exhibition in English, in fact...
Well if you happen to be in Kiruna during the summer have a look at the exhibition which is in the town hall.

Inca treasures return?

Newly it was mentioned in the newspapers that Peru wants to get back a collection of objects from the Inca town Machu Pichu from Yale university in the US. A collection of about 40 000 objects! There is a dialogue going on on this matter. See Svenska Dagbladet (swedish)http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_1131155.svd
More and more, countries and peoples want to have back what western nations took from them without asking (that is what we in every day life call for stealing, but we realize that researchers then did not see it that way). And all dialogue and cooperation to settle those kind of matters are to be welcomed.
So the Sámi are not alone, when they want sámi treasures to be returned to the Sámi land. Much is in important museums in Stockholm or other countries. For example, most of the 72 surviving sámi drums are far away from Sápmi. But some things have been returned.

We need a dialogue. It is important that archaeological and cultural materials, as well as the much debated human remains, are the property of the people it came from in the first place. But of course, it is also important that people in other places can be able to see something of other cultures. I am sure that is possible. By travelling exhibitions, long term loans and why not by having institutions own some of the cultural objects - if they are rightfully given or purchased from the owners, not just taken from them.

Returning cultural objects

Yesterday, Svenska Dagbladet (one of the big newspapers in Sweden) wrote about the returning of two aboriginal craniums to Australia. Today, they write more (see http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_891649.svd ). A discussion about those matters is of utter importance. Throughout collections in the world, there are many objects, human remains and other things, that were taken from other countries, or from indigenous peoples, in ways that are not acceptable. This can be craniums, mummies, but also works of art and things with religious background. Just have a look at the Egyptian collections in many famous museums. How did they get there? Legitimate questions to ask. In each and every case the backgound must be investigated and in dialogue it must be determined what to do with a certain object. Such a process must take some time, but not too much. There is a certain risk of commercialisation, writes SvD, and there is. Some of those objects can be very valuable. So caution is necessary.

Still, we must go on, as a part of a decolonization process. Humain remains ask for special caution and sensitivity. Also, religiously loaded objects and objects from graves must be paid special attention to. And the nearer in time, the more sensitive questions are. But there are even cultural objects, works of art, simply stolen from the people.

Of course, there is a great value in having collections from other places. To be able to study cultures from all over the world. Therefor, there should be an ongoing possibility to have exhibits on Indian culture in Stockholm, or on Swedish culture in Sioux Falls. To name just one example or two. A good dialogue can settle this. There are always possibilities of exchange, of compensation. When the Ethnographical Museum gave back a totem pole to the Haisla people in North America, they god a modern hand-made one in exchange.

It is a good thing that dialogue has started on those matters. We still can have educational exhibitions on different cultures. But we would like to be sure that they are ethically acceptable. And human remains and grave objects must be handled with utmost respect and caution. Especially in that case, the people in question are to decide themselves what is acceptable or not.

No rebellion to Sweden!

Nils Gaups Sámi film The rebellion at Kautokeino has come - in Norway. A film about an important event i Sámi history, showing what colonisation could do to a people. But no, the Swedish Film Institute does not take it to Sweden according to the Swedish Radio website. It is not interesting enough. We saw a fragment at the Jokkmokk film festival last summer - very promising indeed!
The attitude of the film institute is a scandal. Why do they not take their responsibility as a cultural institution? Should they not promote Sámi film, the Sámi being a people of four nations, among them Sweden? And the event described in the film - the "rebellion" at Kautokeino had to do a lot with Sweden as well. It is connected to the Swedish priest Lars Levi Laestadius movement (laestadianism). One could wonder whteher this refusal of the Film Institute to take it to Sweden is another expression of a colonialistic or discriminating attitude of parts of Swedish society. It shows the need for a Sámi film institute...

http://www.sr.se/sameradion/nyheter/artikel.asp?artikel=1846113