Krajobraz nomadyczny w Muittalus samid birra (1910) Johana Turiego
The Nomadic Space in Muittalus samid birra by Johan Turi
Author(s): Maria SibińskaSubject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: Sami culture; Johan Turi; oral literature; nomadic space
Summary/Abstract: The article introduces Muittalus samid birra (1910, An account of the Sami) by Johan Turi, the first book with a secular content written in the sami language by a sami person. The author, a wolf hunter and reindeer-breeder, describes a broad spectrum of his people’s daily life. Pictures of everyday activities are supplemented with stories about the sami people’s knowledge of the world (traditions, myths, legends). Turi’s book is a candid protest against the depreciation of the sami culture perpetrated by the Nordic countries (Sweden and Norway); a protest written by someone who “has witnessed the struggle of his people, or rather, his people giving in to dominating oppressors”. The article concentrates on how Turi creates a specific “nomadic space” in his narrative. Writing – which till now has served as the effective tool of the authorities – is used in a subversive fashion by the author. Through his narrative he creates the limitless landscape of the nomad, a space where sami people feel at home and can assert their rights.
Journal: Prace Etnograficzne
- Issue Year: 43/2015
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 141-154
- Page Count: 14
- Language: Polish