It is
exciting to be visiting Sapmi, the Sami homeland in the far north of the Nordic
countries, for research on the Sami joik and singing practices. The Sapmi Singing Map project is probably the largest research project ever on Sami singing,
involving a team of researchers (interdisciplinary, both Sami and non-Sami) across
the next four years, with the purpose of not only documenting the joik but also
developing research-based and culturally appropriate educational resources.
As part of the
first phase of fieldwork, the team is visiting Kautokeino, Maze, and Øksfjord
to interview and film notable joikers from diverse localities and generations. Yesterday
we also crossed the Finnish border, filming the local nature and wildlife to
help show the context of this heritage. There will be several more visits
across the coming years, in different seasons, to help us better understand how
to meaningfully describe this remarkable land and its unique people.
