Sámi Festivals and Indigenous Sovereignty

Abstract

This chapter is a contribution to the literatures on Sámi cultural history, Nordic postcolonial studies, and music festivals. Drawing inspiration from social theory, the chapter explores how the proliferation of festivals has helped in the formation of local and transnational Sámi publics in the Nordic region. It argues that festivals help foster a sense of transnational Sámi community and work toward cultural self-determination at three levels: the local, the Nordic, and the global. In showing how resistance to nation-states is performed and how sovereignty is enabled in festivals, the chapter highlights the significance of Sámi culture for reconsidering broader political issues of transnationalism and globalization in the Nordic countries today. The main case studies are the Kautokeino Easter Festival and the Riddu Riđ đu Festival.