SNOWSPECTRUMS +LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPES

REFLECTIONS ON FINNMARK STUDY TRIP 2014 EIMEAR TYNAN

SLICES OF KAUTOKEINO - LOCATION AND WATER ACCESSIBILITY (coast, rivers, marsh, lakes)

Kautokeino

Norwegian Sea

Barents Sea

360km

130km

Bare

nts S

ea

SvalbardGulf

of B

othn

ia

Norway

SLICES OF KAUTOKEINO - LOCATION AND PLACE NAMES

Stuorajàvri

Deal

ljada

sjohk

aDa

vit Č

unoj

ohka

Avjàšjàvri Hàvgajàvri

Guov

dage

ainea

tnu

Vuolgamašjàvri

Geassàjàvri

Bàvvàljàvri

Vuorašjàvri

Nammajávri

Náibesjávri

Jevdešjávri

Àdjetjàvri

Suohpatjávri

Siebejohka

Čàbardasjohka

Čoavjebohtosčohkat

Jalgesčorut

Čunovuohppi

Čunočearru

Biltavealguolbba

Gàlaniitu

Geatkevárri

Geatkeskáidi

Skáidi

Suohpatluohkká

Joppevárri

Vuorašvárri

Čuonjáduottar

Rohtovárri

Ádjit

Unna Ádjihaš

Beahcegaš

Dierbavàrri

1km

Mierojávri

Nàrànàš

Hàvgavárri

Gaskavàrri

Bealjášvárri

Muvravárri

Gárgatoaivi

Stuora Oaivvošváráš

Gárgatjávri

Bealjášjávri

Njallavárri

Gaskavárri

Vuovdimierovárri

Guovageaidnu

WALK TO SÀMI ALLASKUVLA/ SÀMI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAUTOKEINO/ time 09.20 am

... AND THE WALK BACK TO THE CABIN VIA MUSEUM/ time 18.30

“Being in a vast area that is silent and unlit when darkness sets in takes one out of the normal conditions of urban and inhabited environments. One can sense peacefulness under these conditions, but one can also sense the foreigness of the environment that can inbue a feeling of insecurity” Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir in Conversations with Landscape (2010)

LECTUREː THE SILENT LANGUAGE OF SNOW by Dr. Inger Marie Gaup Eira

TRACKS IN THE SNOWThe terminology of snow extends to the different marks that are created upon it. Knowledge of the physical condition of the snow is crucial in determining the routes reindeer take and also the availability of food. The following list contains just a few examplesː

“Arctic indigenous people, like Sámi reindeer herders use their language to describe their understanding of nature and how they deal with the specific knowledge about all kinds of natural phenomena, including snow and the winter environment” (Eira et al., 2010 ; Riseth et al., 2010)THE QUALITY OF SNOW

part of table shown at Dr. Inger Marie Gaup Eira presentation

from Diversity on Saami terminology for reindeer and snow, written by Dr. Ole Henrik Maggahttp://www.arcticlanguages.com/papers/Magga_Reindeer_and_Snow.pdf

Consistency

Ceavvi časttas njáhcu geardni borga borhkolat

“Hard compact snow”

“Hard snowdrift”(smaller than skálvi)

“thaw” “thin crust of snow” “falling of snow” “deep snow of vary-ing depth”

Hardness Water Quality Layers Processes Thickness

čiegar snow field which has been trampled and dug up by reindeer feeding therečilvi ice-covered area where reindeer have been grazing in mild winterdoalli winter road or track covered by snow but still distinguishableláhttu ski tracksuovdnji grazing hole, hole dug by reindeer in the snow in order to feed

ARTWORK* AT SÀMI ALLASKUVLA/ SÀMI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAUTOKEINO(*images have been enhanced and colour inverted in Photoshop)

WALKING OVER THE BRIDGE IN KAUTOKEINO / stills from short video / time 13.20

Walking across the bridge over the frozen Guovdageaineatnu river revealed many different snow formations and accumulations. Different accumulations created different sounds. A short but interesting journey!

SNOW AND ICE SCULPTURES AT HOTEL THON, KAUTOKEINO/ time 22.00

BUS TRIP ː KAUTOKEINO TO ALTA ː TREES IN THE SNOW-SNOW IN THE TREES

BUS TRIP ː KAUTOKEINO TO ALTA ː PHOTOGRAPHS

ALTA MUSEUMThe Rock Art shows communication between the world of the living and the worlds of the spirits, and gives insight into the cosmology of prehistoric hunters and gatherers. There is an exceptionally high number of human figures and compelling portrayals of prehistoric social life, dancing, processions, and rituals. Moreover, the Rock Art provides a unique testimony to the interaction of hunter-gatherers with the landscape. The panels show hunting, fishing and boat journeys, and are thought to represent micro-landscapes. A wide range of circumpolar fauna is depicted (reindeer, elks, bears, fish, whales, seabirds, etc.). http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/352

REFLECTIONS

Prior to the study trip I read a text that became more meaningful during the trip. “A thousand Plateaus”, calls for a change in our systems, particularly western systems.

“As a model for culture, the rhizome resists the organizational structure of the root-tree system which charts causality along chronological lines and looks for the original source of ‘things’ and looks towards the pinnacle or conclusion of those ‘things.’ A rhizome, on the other hand, is charac-terized by ‘ceaselessly established connections between semiotic chains, organizations of power, and circumstances relative to the arts, sciences, and social struggles.’Deleuze, Gilles and Félix Guattari. 1980. A Thousand Plateaus.

It became apparant after the trip, that a hierarchal system governs Norway which, very much comes into conflict with the way Sámi people have traditionally lived and in many ways, in which Reindeer herders live today. Different cultures interact differently to nature and this affects the status that people put on the landscape. It is, I believe, this preoccupation with tightly, controlled systems that have lead to the contested power of Finnmark today.

hierarchycontrolaffiliationhomogeneousvulnerable

no ordernetworksopen systemconstellationsresilientflexibleadaptablemultipleexchanges