Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway
This study focuses on the contemporary use of two well-known Sámi offering sites in Alta, Finnmark, Norway. Today, these are hiking destinations and sightseeing points for both the Sámi and the non-Sámi local population, as well as a few non-local visitors. Many of these visitors leave objects at th...
Published in: | Religions |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 |
id |
ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2077-1444/11/7/317/ |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2077-1444/11/7/317/ 2023-08-20T03:59:29+02:00 Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway Marte Spangen Tiina Äikäs 2020-06-27 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Religions and Theologies https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Religions; Volume 11; Issue 7; Pages: 317 Sámi religion sieidi offering site contemporary offerings tourism Text 2020 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 2023-07-31T23:41:51Z This study focuses on the contemporary use of two well-known Sámi offering sites in Alta, Finnmark, Norway. Today, these are hiking destinations and sightseeing points for both the Sámi and the non-Sámi local population, as well as a few non-local visitors. Many of these visitors leave objects at the sites, such as parts of recently slaughtered reindeer, clothing, coins, toys, sweet wrappers and toilet paper. This indicates that visitors have different levels of knowledge about and reverence for the traditional significance of these places. Through repeated surveys over several years, we also observed a certain development and change in the number and character of these depositions, as well as a variation in depositions between different sites. A series of interviews with various users and key stakeholders were performed to clarify the reasons for these changing practices, as well as what individuals and groups visit these sites, their motivation for doing so and for leaving specific objects, and what potential conflict of interest there is between different users. Furthermore, we surveyed what information has been available to the public about these sites and their significance in Sámi religion and cultural history over time. The results show that a diverse group of individuals visit the sites for a variety of reasons, and that there are contrasting views on their use, even among different Sámi stakeholders. While it is difficult to limit the knowledge and use of these places because they are already well known, more information about old Sámi ritual practices and appropriate behaviour at such sites may mediate latent conflicts and promote a better understanding of the importance of offering sites in both past and present Sámi societies. Text Alta Finnmark Northern Norway Finnmark MDPI Open Access Publishing Alta Norway Religions 11 7 317 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
MDPI Open Access Publishing |
op_collection_id |
ftmdpi |
language |
English |
topic |
Sámi religion sieidi offering site contemporary offerings tourism |
spellingShingle |
Sámi religion sieidi offering site contemporary offerings tourism Marte Spangen Tiina Äikäs Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway |
topic_facet |
Sámi religion sieidi offering site contemporary offerings tourism |
description |
This study focuses on the contemporary use of two well-known Sámi offering sites in Alta, Finnmark, Norway. Today, these are hiking destinations and sightseeing points for both the Sámi and the non-Sámi local population, as well as a few non-local visitors. Many of these visitors leave objects at the sites, such as parts of recently slaughtered reindeer, clothing, coins, toys, sweet wrappers and toilet paper. This indicates that visitors have different levels of knowledge about and reverence for the traditional significance of these places. Through repeated surveys over several years, we also observed a certain development and change in the number and character of these depositions, as well as a variation in depositions between different sites. A series of interviews with various users and key stakeholders were performed to clarify the reasons for these changing practices, as well as what individuals and groups visit these sites, their motivation for doing so and for leaving specific objects, and what potential conflict of interest there is between different users. Furthermore, we surveyed what information has been available to the public about these sites and their significance in Sámi religion and cultural history over time. The results show that a diverse group of individuals visit the sites for a variety of reasons, and that there are contrasting views on their use, even among different Sámi stakeholders. While it is difficult to limit the knowledge and use of these places because they are already well known, more information about old Sámi ritual practices and appropriate behaviour at such sites may mediate latent conflicts and promote a better understanding of the importance of offering sites in both past and present Sámi societies. |
format |
Text |
author |
Marte Spangen Tiina Äikäs |
author_facet |
Marte Spangen Tiina Äikäs |
author_sort |
Marte Spangen |
title |
Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway |
title_short |
Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway |
title_full |
Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway |
title_fullStr |
Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sacred Nature. Diverging Use and Understanding of Old Sámi Offering Sites in Alta, Northern Norway |
title_sort |
sacred nature. diverging use and understanding of old sámi offering sites in alta, northern norway |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 |
geographic |
Alta Norway |
geographic_facet |
Alta Norway |
genre |
Alta Finnmark Northern Norway Finnmark |
genre_facet |
Alta Finnmark Northern Norway Finnmark |
op_source |
Religions; Volume 11; Issue 7; Pages: 317 |
op_relation |
Religions and Theologies https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070317 |
container_title |
Religions |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
317 |
_version_ |
1774713210942783488 |