On the path of Sámi Spirit
17-27 April 2003
Experience the Sámi way of life
Getting to know Europe's indigenous peoples
- Five days trekking with reindeer herds from winter to summer
grazing lands at the North Cape sharing the lifestyle of a Sámi
traditional reindeer herding family group
- four days in comfortable modem earth-houses, with sauna andjacuzzi
facilities
- assist at the Sámi Grand Prix, the most important yoik
competition of the year , watch the reindeer races and visit art
exhibitions of Kautokeino Easter festival
- get a workshop as introduction into traditional song technique
from professional yoikers
- leam about the history of Sámi shamanism from university
researcher
- do Sámi drum divination and do light drum joumeying,
depending on your experience
- visit a Siuni sacred site in a respectful and spiritual manner
- leam about Siuni political rights and their struggle to maintain
their basic rights and traditional ways of living from leading
activists ;
- visit craft shops, drum makers, musea, and other interesting
places
- enjoy, relax and rebalance yourself in the beautiful tundra
with 'mild' temperatures between - 5 and- 15 degrees C at this
time of the year.
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Unique journey
This joumey will offer you an unique opportunity to spend ten
days with Europe's own indigenous nation, the Sámi, 'people
of the sun and wind' in order to get to know their way oflife, in
particular the reindeer herding and the spiritual dimension from
their own perspective. You will experience the two forms of traditional
housing of the Sámi : Lávvu (Sámi tipi, a tent
that is the traditional summer housing) and Earth houses (hut covered
with earth, traditional winter housing). You will have a chance
to meet, ex change and leam from Sámi that are living and
developing their ancestral spirituality through the traditionallifestyle,
the semi-nomadic reindeer herding, the tradition al song and shamanic
techniques like the drumming. |
Finally you also will get an understanding of the struggle they
are in with the national authorities and other population groups
to safeguard their constant I y threatened living conditions for
future generations.
This is a special programme designed for the Initiations spiritual
Center in Brussels t hat has shown its long term commitment and
professionalism to assist people to discover a harmonious and respectful
way of life. This travel programme is being developed in co-operation
with Sámi and non Sámi persons who are familiar with
promoting Sámi rights and spiritual knowledge. |
Who are the Sámi
The Sámi are an indigenous people with an millenary holistic
worldview and an unique and an intimate relationship with Mother
Earth, Father Sky and nature just like Australian Aboriginals or
North- and South American Indians. They count about 100 000 persons
who are living in the most Northem part of the European continent
in Norway, Finland, Sweden and he Kola Peninsula in Russia. The
Sámi speak their own Sámi Janguage, have a specific
mythoJogy and world view. Sámi have been described in European
classical1iterature since the 9th century as a separate nation of
shamanic and nomadic people. Sámi are the first inhabitants
of the Arctic European areas. They have managed to survive in its
extreme climatic circumstances since time unknown. Missionaries
have been active christianising Sámi since the Il th century
. Unfortunately this was often done in a spirit of intolerance and
severe oppression.
Drums and shamen were bumed. The old Earth- and nature related spiritual
practices were demonised and forbidden. Non-Christian oral and magical
traditions of healing, divination, communicating with gods, animal
spirits and ancestors, infIuencing the weather or shape-shifting
became entirely confidential. |
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Much of this knowledge got lost. Still today much ofit is taboo,
at some places yoiks for instance are still forbidden and not
spoken of. At the moment there is a still fragile Sámi
cultural revival. More and more young Sámi are starting
to sing the old yoiks and practice the tradition al spiritual
knowledge. They adapt it in a form suited to the present times
as every living tradition has always done. Sámi nowadays
are almost entirely integrated into contemporary Scandinavian
society: they live in modem houses, have regular professional
training and use advanced computer technology for reindeer herding.
The traditional Sámi have never exhausted nature's resources.
They did not made any visible permanent changes to the naturallandscape
like putting up permanent buildings or doing agriculture. They
never started wars with neighbouring peoples. They posses amazing
traditional knowledge and survival skills.
Aiso it is important to be aware that Sámi have never been
culturally isolated from the rest of the world. They have been
permanent I y in contact with other peoples and have contributed
to shape Europe's cultural history. As early as there are writings
about Scandinavia we find mentions of Sámi with their fur
trade, the ski they invented, shamanic magic and knowledge ofherbs
and healthy living.
The modern societies have taken step by step away the basis for
Sámi traditionallifestyle and culture. The reindeer pastures
became divided in country national boundaries. The land belonged
to the state and not to the Sámi any more, they had to
accept to get only small parcels for houses. There were more and
more roads, there was deforestation and mining. Many new inhabitants
came, there was less and less free space. Nowadays
Sámi languages are spoken by only 35000 persons and they
are on the red list of endangered languages.
AlI over the world people realise that indigenous peoples have
invaluable traditional knowledge and experience in nature spirituality
and social values that allowed in the past and partly still today
very stable and happy societies.
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Programme
A traditional Sámi Siidda (group of families that herds
together) wilI take you with them over the Tundra from the i1Ùands
of Finmnark to the North Cape on the spring migration of over 1000
reindeer to the summer grazing lands. You wilI be sleeping in traditional
Sámi Lávvu on reindeer skins and driving with snowmobiles.
You wilI be provided with traditional Sámi reindeer skin
shoes and dresses so that you are not cold , get traditional food,
catch your own fishmeal, try lasso-throwing, and be explained the
reindeer herding. They all speak basic English. You wilI be accompanied
by an experienced English speaking Sámi guide.
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The Earth houses are built by Ester Utsi, a Sámi woman who
is a masseuse and healer, was a leading bureaucrat in the local
administration and changed her life to devote herself to healing
and hosting guests. Her beautiful and well kept spiritual center
at the shore of the Tana/Deatnu river bas modem equipped earth houses
with sauna and jacuzzi. lnside the earth houses you find double
or triple rooms with shower and toilet. She prepares delicious traditional
food. Here you wilI be offered meetings and workshops with Yoik
singers, traditional spiritual knowledge keepers, a S3mi academic
who teaches Sámi culture at University and leading Sámi
activists.
At Easter the annual Sámi Kautokeino Easter festival takes
place. There are concerts of many music bands, exhibitions, and
partying. We choose to visit one day of the festival to participate
at its culminating point: the Grand Prix concert and the reindeer
races. At the Grand prix concert the best yoikers meet to show their
singing skilIs before an audience of about 1000 Sámi from
aIl parts of Sapmi, most of them in traditional clothing. At the
reindeer races you can see how Sámi manage to ri1ake speed
on a sledge with a reindeer in front.
It is not a normal touristic trip. The persons that wilI accompany
you are not trained for touristic group work. They just wish to
ri1ake possible tbat you get an authentic idea of Sámi life
today, share their approach to life and some parts of the spirituality
to others and increase understanding for them and support.
Practical information
You wilI arrive and depart from Lakselv airport in NorthemNorway.
You wilI be transported in a mini-bus. The tundra trip does not
demand very strong physical effort as you will be driven in sledges
and wilI be kept warm and welI-fed, but can not be recommended for
persons with serious health problems. English wilI be the current
language of the trip. Translation into French will be provided is
required.
As preparation to the trip, we would like to talk briefly to you
about your motivation to come. We recommend you watch a video cassette
we prepared and read a brochure on Sámi.
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Cost
The approximate price will be 3800 EUR/153 100 BEF aIl in : air travel,
local transport, all meals,
accommodation, workshops. We are aware that this is a lot, and this is
not even a luxury trip. Norway is an very expensive country and we did
not find a way to lower the cost in offering you a progranune of this
quality.
Contact: Initiations Bruxelles - Tel. 00 32 2 375 48 11
initiations@skynet.be
- Fax 00 32 2 375 28 96
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