Skolt Sámi People's Opinions on Sharing Their Culture in Tourism

• Main Author: Ranta, Jenna Maarit
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: fi=Matkailu|sv=Turism|en=Tourism|; Sevettijärvi; Skolt Sámi; Sámi; tourism; indigenous; culture; Sami tourism; kolttasaamelainen; saamelainen; matkailu; alkuperäiskansalaiset; kulttuuri; saamelaismatkailu; Degree Programme in Tourism; Norway; culture sami; sami
• Online Access: http://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/166017

Interest in indigenous groups and heritage in general is growing, which results in growing market for presenting indigenousness in tourism. When working with indigenous groups, it is a necessity to remain respectful and thoughtful towards the cultures, and work in an authentic and sustainable manner. Culture and indigenous groups have been part of tourism for a long time, but they have not always been presented in the right way. The Sámi are the indigenous peoples of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia, and there is some research regarding them in the field of tourism. The Sámi includes different Sámi groups, and one of them is the Skolt Sámi. The Skolt Sámi have been researched less than the Sámi in general, but they are gaining a bigger part in tourism, which creates new development areas. One of these has to do with the culture. Commissioner of this thesis is Skolt Sámi Cultural Foundation, who wish that the Skolt Sámi can be be the ones choosing which parts of the culture to share to tourists, and which should remain private. Since the cultures differ among the different Sámi groups, this thesis only focuses on the Skolt Sámi. Five members of the Skolt Sámi community were interviewed to gain an understanding of the common opinion on the use of Skolt Sámi culture in tourism, and a theme interview was conducted to approach this topic. Interviews were conducted in summer 2018. All of the interviewees were concerned about how their culture is presented in tourism. The interviewees thought that although there is a growing demand for Skolt Sámi in tourism, the culture is not that visible in it yet. The interviewees listed tangible and intangible aspects in two separate groups: those that can be shared in tourism and those that should be kept private. Handicrafts and Skolt Sámi traits, such as a sense of community and playfulness, were among the sharable assets, while a majority wanted to keep the deepest secrets of their culture as they are. Due to the limitation of this research, this topic calls for further discussion. The results this thesis provides can be used in the development of tourism services.