Johan Turi’s work offers unmatched insight into his life as a Sami person in northern Sweden at the start of the 20th century, from detailed drawings of reindeer from multiple perspectives to written accounts of belief systems and childbirth. In the face of racist discrimination, land disputes, and the threat of encroaching industry, Turi wanted his 1910 book Muitalus sámiid birra (An Account of the Sami) to set the record straight about the lives of Europe’s only recognised Indigenous people. Turi is widely regarded as the first Sami author to write about Sami life in his own language, but until now his pioneering works had not been on display for almost 100 years.
To mark the handover to the Swedish government this week of a long-awaited report by the Truth Commission for the Sami People on abuses committed by the state against the Sami, his writings, drawings, paintings, and Duodji (traditional Sami handicraft) now form the centre of an exhibition at the Kin Museum of Contemporary Art in Kiruna, the area where he used to live. The exhibition’s title, On the Ugly and the Beautiful, comes from a quote by Turi, who died in 1936, about his belief that everything, positive and negative, has a place to be shown. His work is on display alongside two contemporary artists, Outi Pieski and Johanna Minde.
The museum’s director, Maria Lind, said An Account of the Sami, which was published in Sami and Danish before being translated into Swedish seven years later, is “about Sami life, small and big – external and inner life”. Turi was born in Guovdageainnu (Kautokeino), the Norwegian part of Sápmi, in 1854, but as the imposition of formal national borders began to have a bigger impact on the lives of the Sami, his family, who were reindeer herders, moved to Kiruna. “He had dreamed about writing a book about the Sami with the purpose of making the population in Sweden understand how difficult it was for the Sami because those were difficult years,” Lind said, citing the arrival of settlers, industry, including mining, and the railway. “He wanted the king to read his book because he felt if the king knew then things would change. Most likely the king did not read his book, but it became a success,” she added.
The problems facing Sami people today are not dissimilar to those Turi would recognise. Industry – especially the search for rare earth minerals and wind energy – is an ever-increasing threat to reindeer herding and nature. Anti-Sami rhetoric is on the rise, including from political leaders, despite the seeming progress symbolised by the truth commission and its report, which will be presented on Wednesday. Similar commissions have also been held in Norway and Finland. But unlike in Turi’s time, there is now the escalating impact of the climate crisis, particularly visible in the Arctic and northern regions.
As the report, which is intended to form the basis for reparation and reconciliation discussions, is handed over at Mid Sweden University in Staare, the Kin Museum will put on a special tour of the works, after which there will be a reading of testimonies at the culture house next door. Pieski, who lives on the Finnish side of Sápmi, said she grew up with Turi’s writings and drawings, in which she sees the paper as the land itself. “And then humans, animals, everything is grounded on that paper,” she said. “It’s not a western way of seeing a landscape as a beautiful view that you look at from a distance. But the actual place where you are, physically placed, and you are an active member of this network of land.” Her research and exploratThe exhibition also features a conversation with Eeva-Kristiina Nylander about the ládjogahpir, a traditional hat historically worn by Sami women. Their work has helped bring it back into use. According to Pieski, it has become a “new symbol for decolonial feminism.” She said that in many ways, Turi’s work began the current process of truth and reconciliation by writing about life and Sami culture from his own perspective. “It’s very sad that we are kind of in the same spot still now, 100 years later,” she said. “And I know the same struggles are still existing that Johan Turi brought out with the fight for industrial land use and so on. No nation can exist without their own spoken or written histories. Ignoring it is a very simple colonial tool [that does] not give existence to one nation that we are here.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the exhibition focusing on the Sami people in Sweden
What is this exhibition about
It is a photo and art exhibition that shows what life is like for the Sami people in Sweden It compares their current struggles to the struggles they faced 100 years ago
Who are the Sami
The Sami are the indigenous people of northern Europe They live in Sweden Norway Finland and Russia They are famous for herding reindeer
Where is the exhibition located
The exhibition is in Sweden
Why is the title Same struggles as 100 years ago
The title means that even though 100 years have passed the Sami people are still fighting for the same basic rights they fought for back then like land and respect
What does indigenous people mean
It means the Sami were the first people to live in that specific region They have their own culture language and traditions that existed before the modern country of Sweden was formed
What is the main message of the exhibition
The main message is that the Sami are not just a history lesson They are a living people with modern problems and they are still fighting for their survival and rights today
What specific problems do the Sami face today
They face issues like climate change mining companies taking their land and hate speech They also struggle to keep their language alive
What was happening to the Sami 100 years ago
100 years ago the Swedish government forced many Sami to stop their traditional lifestyle They were often treated as secondclass citizens and their language and religion were banned in schools
What is reindeer herding and why is it important
Reindeer herding is a traditional way of life for many Sami It is not just a job it is part of their culture and identity It requires large areas of land for the reindeer to eat
Do all Sami people herd reindeer
No Only a small percentage of Sami people own reindeer today Many Sami live in cities and have regular jobs like teachers artists or doctors
What is green colonialism
This is a term used in the exhibition It means when governments
