”Kelle se tieto kuuluu, ni sillä se on.”:osallistava GIS Pohjois-Suomen pyhien paikkojen sijaintietoon liittyvien näkemysten kartoituksessa

Tutkielmani käsittelee paikallisyhteisöiden sekä viranomaisten suhtautumista saamelaisten pyhien paikkojen paikkatiedon julkiseen esittämiseen. Työssäni selvitän, mitä mieltä paikalliset ovat pyhien paikkojen paikkatiedon esittämisestä kaikille avoimessa Muinaisjäännösrekisterissä ja toisaalta, mikä on kulttuuriperinnön suojelusta vastaavien viranomaisten näkökulma paikkatiedon esittämiseen. Keskeinen kysymys on, koetaanko tieto pyhistä paikoista salatuksi paikallistiedoksi ja jos näin on, mitä keinoja tällaisen tiedon esittämiseen on olemassa. Tutkielmani tarkoituksena on toimia keskustelunavauksena paikallisyhteisöiden ja viranomaistahojen välillä. Työni liittyy feministisen maantieteen viitekehykseen, sillä tärkeäksi näkökulmaksi nousevat erilaiset tietämisen tavat sekä tiedon omistajuus. Tutkimuksessani hyödynnetään osallistavaa GIS:ä (PPGIS l. Public Participation GIS), jonka tarkoituksena on voimaannuttaa paikallisyhteisöt ottamalla heidät mukaan paikkatiedon keruuseen. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu kymmenestä paikallisyhteisöiden jäsenille ja seitsemästä viranomaistahoille vuosina 2011−2012 tehdystä puolistrukturoidusta haastattelusta. Perinteisestä osallistava GIS ‐projektista poiketen en kerännyt paikallisilta paikkatietoa sinänsä vaan käsityksiä paikkatiedosta. Haastatteluille tehdyssä sisällönanalyysissä selvisi, ettei paikallisilla ole yhtä yhteistä mielipidettä pyhien paikkojen paikkatiedon esittämisestä. Perusteet tiedon salaamiselle ja tiedon avoimuudelle ovat usein samankaltaisia ja pohjaavat käsitykseen tiedon luonteesta. Osa haastatelluista on sitä mieltä, että kaikenlainen tiedon salaaminen on diskriminoivaa. Toiset taas kokeivat pyhien paikkojen luonteeseen kuuluvan, että ne ovat salattuja, ja tieto niistä voi välittyä ainoastaan suullisena perinteenä. Sekä tiedon avoimuutta että tiedon salaamista perustellaan pyhien paikkojen suojelulla. Suomessa viranomaistahot pitävät avointa tietoa suojelun kannalta tärkeänä. Toisaalta Ruotsissa on päädytty pyhien paikkojen osalta suljettuun rekisteriin juuri suojelun näkökulmista. Haastatteluissa nousee esiin myös näkökulmia siitä, miten pyhien paikkojen sijaintitietoa voisi esittää osittain salatusti. Jatkokeskusteluiden kannalta keskeiset näkökulmat liittyvät sijaintitiedon esittämiseen laajempana alueena tai suljettuina tasoina. Laajempaa aluetta käytettäessä tulisi ottaa huomioon, että pyhät paikat ovat luonteeltaan erilaisia ja vaativat näin ollen erikokoisia alueita tullakseen kätketyiksi. Mikäli osa tiedosta esitetään suljettuina tasoina, tulisi käydä laajaa keskustelua siitä, ketkä ovat oikeutettuja mihinkin tietoon ja miten tieto saadaan välitetyksi viranomaistahoille. Haastatteluissa korostuu, että kulttuuriperinnön kontrolli on paikallisille tärkeää ja keskustelua pyhien paikkojen paikkatiedon esittämisestä tulisi käydä mahdollisimman pian

Religion of the past or living heritage?:dissemination of knowledge on Sámi religion in museums in Northern Finland

Abstract In recent years we have witnessed a growing contemporary use of Sámi offering places by various actors, for example tourists, the local population and contemporary pagans. Hence, sites that the heritage authorities and researchers have seen as belonging to the past have gained new relevance. Nevertheless, Sámi religion is often presented in museums in relation to history and prehistory. Sámi culture has been presented in museums and exhibitions since the nineteenth century. In pointing out that this long history of museum displays affects how Sámi culture is presented in contemporary museums, Nika Potinkara (2015:41) suggests that we can renew, comment on or question the old presentations. This article explores the representations of Sámi religion in four museums and exhibitions in Northern Finland, and will answer the following research question: How is Sámi religion presented and what kind of themes are present? Here museums are studied as arenas for the dissemination of results of knowledge production. What kind of image of Sámi religion do they share

Contemporary deposits at sacred places:reflections on contemporary Paganism in Finland and Estonia

Abstract This paper is based on fieldwork documenting contemporary deposits at sacred places in Estonia and Finland. We studied variations in these deposits in both countries and interpreted them on the basis of the known traditions of contemporary Paganism. Contemporary offerings bear evidence of the creative use of the past as well as international influences. The contemporary practices at sacred places, as demonstrated by material evidence, can be grouped under the following concepts: perceived continuity, revitalising traditions, syncretism, and ritual creativity. In Estonia, sacred places have been used more actively and more extensive deposits have accumulated than is the case in Finland. We also emphasise that sacred places are used by a broader variety of people than only members of Pagan communities, although other types of users are often ignored in research. The activities of the general public become visible particularly in the context of material culture studies, when all deposits are examined comprehensively

Animals in Saami shamanism:power animals, symbols of art, and offerings

Abstract In this paper, we study the role of power animals in contemporary Saami shamanism and how past and present are entwined in the presentation of power animals. In the old Saami worldviews, in addition to animals, spirits and sacred rocks (sieidi, SaaN) were also considered to be able to interact with people. Animals were an important part of offering rituals because livelihood and rituals were intertwined. Past “religions” are used as an inspiration for contemporary shamanistic practices, in line with one of late modernity’s core concepts, namely creativity. Present-day shamanistic practices can be described as ritual creativity, and they combine traces of old and new ritual activities. At the shamanistic festival Isogaisa, organized in northern Norway, these different roles of animals and ritual creativity become evident. Here, animals appear as spirit animals, as well as decorative elements on drums and clothes and as performance. In this paper, we combine material culture studies, interview data, and participatory observations in order to reflect the meanings and use of power animals in contemporary spiritual practices. How are traces of the past used in creating contemporary spirituality? How are animals and their artistic presentations entangled in contemporary shamanism

Hanging tree as a place of memories:encounters at a 1916 execution site

Abstract Near the city centre of Oulu in northern Finland, one comes across a peculiar monument: a pine tree turned into a memorial that marks the site of the last official execution by hanging in the country. Archaeological excavations took place at the hanging site in August 2014, not only to gather archaeological evidence on the history and use of the memorial, but also in order to offer people a way to share their memories and recollections of this rather unusual place. In this article we discuss the data gained from interviews (N = 20) conducted in connection with the excavations. The interpretation of the data shows that the hanging tree memorial has been and continues to be a place of both private and communal memories. It has been used for private gatherings and visits as well as for nationalistic purposes. The authenticity of this site as the actual place of hanging can be reasonably questioned, but the place is still important for local people

Leikkiä tehtaiden varjossa:lapsuusmuistoja Pateniemen entisen sahan alueelta

Abstract Playground in the shadow of the factory : childhood memories from the former Pateniemi sawmill industrial area In this article we will propose how the former Pateniemi sawmill industrial area (1870–1990) was experienced from a child’s perspective and how children claimed their own places amidst the industrial environment. A good living environment offers children different opportunities for independent activities and mobility. The Pateniemi sawmill industry created a wide range of opportunities for children to use imagination to modify this industrial landscape to make it suitable for their needs. High wood-bark piles, the marine location of the sawmill, and the vast fields provided an interesting layground for the children. Data for this archaeological study was collected by interviewing people who had lived in the area or whose parents had worked on the sawmill. In this article, we ask what kind of places were used by children and how do those remembered places appear now that the area of the former sawmill is turning from a company town to the flagship of maritime Oulu? Former playgrounds chosen by children have become controlled playgrounds defined by adults

Constructing a trumped-up future with the pastness of the present?:neo-relics and archaeological heritage

Abstract Neo-relics, constructions borrowing their looks from ancient structures or sites ranging from the mighty Stonehenge to a humble Troy town, have recently been erected in different parts of Finland. In authorized heritage discourse, they are often seen as a potential threat. However, we demonstrate here, with a variety of examples from various social contexts, how ordinary people assign meanings and functions to archaeological heritage through them. We also approach the question of their authenticity by applying Cornelius Holtorf’s materialistically infused constructivist definition of pastness — a property related to an object’s age-value rather than its actual age — to find out why personal involvement, localness and stories are important features in enhancing pastness. Finally, instead of seeing neo-relics as a threat for archaeological heritage and interpretation, we propose that they be embraced as a novel way for people to experience and interact with the past

Sacred nature:diverging use and understanding of old Sámi offering sites in Alta, northern Norway

Abstract This study focuses on the contemporary use of two well-known Sámi offering sites in Alta, Finnmark, Norway. Today, these are hiking destinations and sightseeing points for both the Sámi and the non-Sámi local population, as well as a few non-local visitors. Many of these visitors leave objects at the sites, such as parts of recently slaughtered reindeer, clothing, coins, toys, sweet wrappers and toilet paper. This indicates that visitors have different levels of knowledge about and reverence for the traditional significance of these places. Through repeated surveys over several years, we also observed a certain development and change in the number and character of these depositions, as well as a variation in depositions between different sites. A series of interviews with various users and key stakeholders were performed to clarify the reasons for these changing practices, as well as what individuals and groups visit these sites, their motivation for doing so and for leaving specific objects, and what potential conflict of interest there is between different users. Furthermore, we surveyed what information has been available to the public about these sites and their significance in Sámi religion and cultural history over time. The results show that a diverse group of individuals visit the sites for a variety of reasons, and that there are contrasting views on their use, even among different Sámi stakeholders. While it is difficult to limit the knowledge and use of these places because they are already well known, more information about old Sámi ritual practices and appropriate behaviour at such sites may mediate latent conflicts and promote a better understanding of the importance of offering sites in both past and present Sámi societies