Journal | Lagoonscapes
Monographic journal issue | 2 | 1 | 2022
Research Article | “Everybody Knew Čuoppomáddu Stories”. On Human/Other‑Than-Human Relations in Stuornjárga as Revealed Through the Márka‑Sámi Toponyms

“Everybody Knew Čuoppomáddu Stories”. On Human/Other‑Than-Human Relations in Stuornjárga as Revealed Through the Márka‑Sámi Toponyms

Abstract

The Sámi people share their ancestral homeland (Sápmi, sub/Arctic Europe) not only with animals, plants, trees, rocks, colonial-settlers and more recent immigrants but also with other-than-human beings. For centuries, the Sámi have co-constructed Sápmi’s landscape with these entities through respect and reciprocity. Despite enforced conversion, elements of Sámi Indigenous worldviews persisted. Enshrined in placenames, collective memory of interactions with other-than-human beings has been passed down through generations. The paper highlights the importance that toponyms have in transmitting cultural values, identity, and a sense of belonging.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: March 17, 2022 | Accepted: May 20, 2022 | Published June 22, 2022 | Language: en

Keywords Indigenous Sámi worldviewsOther‑than‑human entitiesLinguistic landscapeMárka‑Sámi identityIndigenous Sámi values


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