The Nomadic Space in Muittalus samid birra by Johan Turi

The article introduces Muittalus samid birra (1910, An account of the Sami) by Johan Turi, the first book with a secular content written in the sami language by a sami person. The author, a wolf hunter and reindeer-breeder, describes a broad spectrum of his people’s daily life. Pictures of everyday activities are supplemented with stories about the sami people’s knowledge of the world (traditions, myths, legends).  
Turi’s book is a candid protest against the depreciation of the sami culture perpetrated by the Nordic countries (Sweden and Norway); a protest written by someone who “has witnessed the struggle of his people, or rather, his people giving in to dominating oppressors”. The article concentrates on how Turi  creates a specific “nomadic space” in his narrative. Writing – which till now has served as the effective tool of the authorities – is used in a subversive fashion by the author.  Through his narrative he creates the limitless landscape of the nomad, a space where sami people feel at home and can assert their rights.  

 

The Nomadic Space in Muittalus samid birra by Johan Turi

The article introduces Muittalus samid birra (1910, An account of the Sami) by Johan Turi, the first book with a secular content written in the sami language by a sami person. The author, a wolf hunter and reindeer-breeder, describes a broad spectrum of his people’s daily life. Pictures of everyday activities are supplemented with stories about the sami people’s knowledge of the world (traditions, myths, legends).  
Turi’s book is a candid protest against the depreciation of the sami culture perpetrated by the Nordic countries (Sweden and Norway); a protest written by someone who “has witnessed the struggle of his people, or rather, his people giving in to dominating oppressors”. The article concentrates on how Turi  creates a specific “nomadic space” in his narrative. Writing – which till now has served as the effective tool of the authorities – is used in a subversive fashion by the author.  Through his narrative he creates the limitless landscape of the nomad, a space where sami people feel at home and can assert their rights.