Forest Saami heritage and history

• Main Author: Larsson, Gunilla
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Uppsala universitet, Centrum för mångvetenskaplig forskning om rasism (CFR) 2021
• Subjects: Archaeology; Arkeologi; Forsa; saami
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-442124

In this paper, I will briefly present my research aiming to define, localise and interpret the archaeological remains that can be connected to Forest Saami culture and economy in the Swedish part of Sápmi, focusing on the early modern and modern period. With the help of an ethnoarchaeological method, I use ethnographic sources to understand the link between the people and the archaeological remains, and to get information on where to find them. One of the main questions is how and why Forest Saami archaeology differs from Mountain Saami archaeology, and how that is related to differences in economy. In three defined research areas, i.e. two earlier Forest Saami skatteland (Sw: ‘tax paying districts’) in the Lule river valley and a third research area, Forsa Parish in Hälsingland, new aspects of Forest Saami history have been investigated, using a combination of archaeological, ethnographic and historical sources. One aim is to bring a Saami perspective into archaeological studies, both concerning the geopolitical framework, the investigation and the interpretation of the results. Methods to be used in Saami archaeology are presented, methods that will be a part of a combined personal, academic, activist and archaeological struggle to enlighten and reclaim this heritage and history.