Visualizing Arctic Voices

The Riddu Riđđu Festival Exhibition
The Center of Northern Peoples in Olmmáivággi, Norway
10 July - 1 October 2024

(for English see below!)

Čájáhus Visualizing Arctic Voices ovdanbuktá ja bovde ságastallamii moadde vajálduhtán dahje amas muitalusaid mat lea Árktisis dáhpáhuvvan 1750-1930 logus. Muitalusat lea čadnon njuohtamii, sárgumii, govvideapmái ja illustrašuvnnaide mat lea čohkkejuvvon dahje ođasráhkaduvvon museain, girjerájuin ja arkiivvain miehtá máilmmi. Govat leat álgoálbmogiid, kultuvrraid, luondu ja elliid birra Sámis, Kalaallit Nunaat, Inuit Nunangat (Davvi-Canada) ja Alaskas. Dat ráhkaduvvojedje áiggis gos lei eanet koloniija oktavuohta ja dan deattu vuolde. Dán áigge davviriikkaid, eurohpalaš, amerihkálaš ja ruošša koloniijahálddašeaddjit ja ovddasteaddjit kártejedje, dokumenterejedje, mišunerejedje, ásaiduvve, válde eatnamiid ja dan riggodagaid, assimilerejedje olbmuid ja goaridedje elliid. Dáid govaid maid sihke álgoálbmogat ja koloniála doaimmaheaddjit leat ráhkadan, gullet oktii go čájehit dáhpáhusaid mo iešguđetge kultuvrrat deaivvadedje gos sis ledje earálágan jurdagat, ipmárdus ja oktavuohta olbmuide, elliide ja lundui.

Nugo čilgejuvvo eanet dán katalogas, čájáhus guorahallá luottaid álgoálbmogiid eallima ja materiálakultuvrra maŋis, mat sáhttet leat dáin govain, ja maiddái oktagaslaš ja oktasaš vásáhus go deive empiriija ovddasteaddji. Mo čájehit govat álgoálbmogiid dáiddu, iešmearrideami, vuostálastima ja hutkás ovdanbuktima? Maid soitet muitalit midjiide álgoálbmogiid ja oarjemáilmmi gaskavuođaid birra árktalaš elliide ja birrasii dán áiggis? Nie mo Riddu Riđđu festivála rámida ja buktá dáiddu Sámi ja eará álgoálbmogiid kultuvrrain, dát čájáhus čájeha mo historjjálaš govat sáhttet váldot ruovttoluotta ja maid soaitá riggudahttit dálá árktalaš álgoálbmogiid historjjá ja kultuvrraid. Čájáhusas lea dálááiggi dáiddárat nie mo Outi Pieski, Anders Sunna, Áillohaš/Nils Aslak Valkeapää (1943-2001), Aage Gaup (1943-2021), Raisa Porsanger, Kalaallit dáiddár Bolatta Silis-Høegh ja Sugpiat antropologa ja kuráhtor Dr. Sven Haakanson. Sin oasit čájáhussii bovdejit ságastallamiidda máhcaheami, ođđasis ealáskahttima ja historjjá dekoloniserema birra.

Visualizing Arctic Voices vuođđu lea viđa jagi arkiivabarggut, workshops ja ovttasbargu gaskkal riikkaidgaskasaš álgoálbmot ja oarjemálmma oahppiid ja dáiddárat geat gullet Arctic Voices Project (www.arcticvoices.space). Čájáhus lea ovttasbargu gaskal Arctic Voices Project, Riddu Riđđu Festivála AS, Davvi Álbmogiid Guovddá ja RiddoDuottarMuseat, ja maiddái Fridtjof Nansen Institutt lea ruhtadan čájáhusa. Prošeakta lea ožžon ruhtadeami Norsk Forskningsråd, Nordisk Kulturfond, Fritt Ord, NAPA – the Nordic Institute in Greenland ja UiT Likestillings- og mangfoldsutvalget.

Visualizing Arctic Voices presents and invites dialogues with some forgotten or almost unknown stories from the Arctic from about 1750-1930. These stories are connected to paintings, drawings, photographs and illustrations that have been gathered or reproduced for this exhibition from museums, libraries and archives around the world. These images are of Indigenous peoples, cultures, landscapes and animals in Sápmi, Kalaallit Nunaat, Inuit Nunangat (northern Canada) and Alaska. They were created in a period of heightened colonial contact and pressure. During this time Nordic, European, American and Russian colonial governments and agents mapped, documented, missionized, settled, took land and resources, assimilated people and depleted animals. Created by both Indigenous individuals and colonial agents, what connects these images is that they originate in meetings between people from different cultures and with different agendas and understandings of relations to other human beings, animals and the natural-cultural environment.

As described further in the catalogue, the exhibition examines the traces of Indigenous people’s biographies and material cultures that might be found in these images, as well as the individual and collective experiences of contact with agents of empire. How do these images show Indigenous knowledge, sovereignty, resistance and creative expression? What might they tell us about Indigenous and Western relations to Arctic animals and environments in this period? In line with the Riddu Riđđu Festival’s work of building pride and knowledge of Sámi and other Indigenous cultures, the exhibition addresses how these historical images may be taken back and potentially enrich Arctic Indigenous peoples’ histories and cultures today. The exhibition shows a selection of recent and contemporary works by Sámi artists Outi Pieski, Anders Sunna, Áillohaš/Nils Aslak Valkeapää (1943-2001), Aage Gaup (1943-2021) and Raisa Porsanger, Kalaallit artist Bolatta Silis-Høegh, and Sugpiat anthropologist and curator Dr Sven Haakanson. Their contributions to the exhibition invite conversations about repatriation, revitalisation and ways to decolonize history.

Visualizing Arctic Voices is rooted in five years of archival work, workshops and collaboration between an international group of Indigenous and Western scholars and artists in the Arctic Voices Project (www.arcticvoices.space). The exhibition is a collaboration between the Arctic Voices Project, the Riddu Riđđu Festivála AS, the Center for Northern Peoples and RiddoDuottarMuseat, with further contributions by the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. The project has received funding from The Research Council of Norway, Nordic Culture Fund, Fritt Ord, Riddu Riđđu Festivála AS, NAPA – the Nordic Institute in Greenland and UiT The Arctic University of Norway's Equality and Diversity Committee.