Through our stories we resist: Decolonial perspectives on south Saami history, indigeneity and rights

Abstract

Māori educator and scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith (2012, p. 1) reminds us that «the term ‘research’ is inextricably linked to European imperialism and colonialism.» She argues that for centuries, Indigenous Peoples’ histories, knowledges, and practices have been written and presented through the eyes and voice of the colonizers. At the same time, she encourages indigenous scholars to be protagonists in research about and for ourselves. According to her, our counterstories can constitute powerful forms of resistance and contribute to decolonize academia and knowledge construction. Smith’s critical analysis of a colonial knowledge hierarchy is ecchoed across the indigenous world, also in Saepmie, the traditional territory of the Saami people in Fennoscandia. In this chapter, I critically examine the implications of a colonial narrative of south Saami history, indigeneity, and territorial rights in the Røros area in Norway. Through five generations of struggles and resilience, I have my own counterstory to tell.