NEWS The Sami Week is an annual event in Umeå. Patrik Lantto, Professor and Director of the Centre for Sami Research – Vaartoe, describes how the University takes part in a week full of music, meetings, art, culture, discussions and debate.
“The Sami week is of huge importance to make visible the Sami indigenous people in Umeå. I doubt that Umeå would have been 2014 Capital of Culture had it not been for the Sami Week and the work performed by Såhkie, Umeå Sami Association. Sami issues are visible in a whole new way today in Umeå and where the Sami week is central.”
“As usual, we participate in various event over the course of the week, both ones that we ourselves are active within and foremost where invited guests will speak.
The main focus on Sami issues and culture, and the many visitors, makes the Sami Week into a very good opportunity for this type of public event.
The Lars Thomasson Symposium has been filmed for several years, which makes it available to everyone, even those who cannot participate.”
“Our operations are of great importance in keeping the focus on issues revolving the Sami population and on indigenous people in general. In the venture focusing on the Arctic, which Umeå University has been pushing for a few years now, the issue of indigenous people is a very important component.
Umeå University is a university located in Sápmi, the Sami area, and questions revolving the Sami and indigenous people is and must be a carrying point when it comes to the University’s arctic focus in which Cesam/Vaartoe has an important role.
Read more about Umeå University-related events at the Sami Week in 2016
Editor: Anna Lawrence