Sami shamanism, cosmology and art as systems of embedded knowledge

Tuotetiedot

The Sami are the Indigenous Peoples of Fennoscandia, and as with all Indigenous Peoples and their cultural practices, dimensions of the sacred and profane in relation to their traditions and customs are documented and preserved through art and handicrafts. This article-based dissertation presents an extensive investigation into the subject matters of Sami religion, cosmology, shamanism and art as systems of embedded knowledge; which transverses three time periods, namely, prehistory, the seventeenth and eighteenth century and the present day. The aim of this enquiry concerns the application of a mixed methods approach, which explores a number of methodological problems regarding the cultural heritage of the Sami people in relation to colonialism in Finland and how these mechanisms have impacted and represented portraits of the Sami and their traditions as a consequence. From within the shadows of colonialism, a comprehensive study of an emerging Sami spirituality, from different parts of Sapmi, and within different contexts, is described in relation to the continuity of culture and identity using drums and symbolism, and in what ways these are being communicated.