Lecture in Ballangen: Sámi Cultural Heritage and Cultural Monuments – Is This Heritage Worth Preserving?

Next occasion
Welcome to this lecture on Sámi cultural heritage in Ofoten. Ofoten is often associated with mining, the Ofoten Railway, iron ore exports and the history of war. However, the landscape surrounding the Ofotfjord also holds a much older history – a history that is still visible in the region today.

Sámi cultural heritage is an important part of the history of Ofoten. It can be found in place names, archaeological sites, old travel routes, traces of coastal Sámi settlement and reindeer herding. In this lecture, we will explore these traces and consider what they can tell us about the people who have lived in and used this landscape over generations.
Booking
  • Culture and history
Group size
  • Group Activity
Duration
  • 1-2 hours

Description

Archaeologist and Senior Adviser at the Sámi Parliament, Arne Håkon Thomassen, will take us on a journey through the Sámi cultural history of Ofoten. Using the landscape as his starting point, he will explore how archaeological remains and historical traces can provide knowledge about Sámi presence and the use of the area.

An important theme is how we interpret the landscape. Place names, old travel routes and cultural monuments are not simply remains from the past. They can tell us stories about how people travelled, lived, worked and developed connections to the landscape.

The lecture will also focus on coastal Sámi settlement and reindeer herding, and on how these ways of life have left traces in Ofoten. At the same time, the audience will be invited to reflect on how we tell our history: Which stories have been given the most space, which stories have become less visible, and what does this mean for our understanding of Ofoten's identity today?

Cultural heritage is therefore not only about preserving old buildings, places or objects. It is also about knowledge, belonging and understanding the connections between people, landscape and history. By learning more about Sámi cultural heritage, we can develop a broader and more nuanced understanding of Ofoten's past and its identity today.