DIGIJOIK

Abstract from the article "From Digijoik to Luohtevuorká. Appropriation and Appreciation in the Process of Making New Homes for Luođit" (Brattland, Fonneland and Ragazzi, 2024).

There are multiple ways in which specific collections of Sámi luođit (Northern Sámi for yoiks, a distinctive vocal expression of the Sámi People) can be “brought home” from museums and archives. In 2018, the Sámi Parliament of Norway expressed its wish to assemble all the luohti recordings which at the time were spread across numerous archives housed in Norwegian institutions to create “an institutional home for luohti.” The luohti collection at The Arctic University Museum of Norway in Romsa/Tromsø has at times been described as an example of appropriation, or as a space where Sámi cultural heritage has been held captive, kept inaccessible except to non-experts. Repatriation of the collection has yet to be formally proposed by the Sámi Parliament, but the call to create an institutional home for luohti has already been acknowledged, and inspired the museum to work towards decolonization of its archives, to imagine a possible future wherein these collections are reassembled in the heart of Sápmi. This chapter gives insight into how a purposefully designed project, DigiJoik, set in motion a process which is still in progress, triggering both claims and appreciation balanced against challenges presented by the archives in terms of appropriation, law, legitimacy, and availability. 

See also Luohtearkiiva in Digitalt Museum.