Indigenous (Sámi) Spirituality and Religious Beliefs (5cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Objective

The focus for the course is to provide participants with a broad and comprehensive understanding and series of insights into Sámi religion and spiritual traditions, both past and present. Moreover, the critical function religions and spirituality plays within Sámi society.

After completion of the course the student is able to understand, comprehend and discuss
- how Sámi religion, sacrifice and drum use is characterized through the relationship with the landscape and natural world
- in what ways the continuity of practices related to sacrifice is still evident in some areas in Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian Lapland
- the roles and functions art plays as a mediator and bridge in Sámi culture, and between the human world and nature in general
- how the sacred drum and its painted landscapes past and present are a representation of Sámi identity
- why traditions matter: and the importance of cultural heritage in Sámi society and impacts of cultural appropriation in relation to tourism.

Execution methods

Teaching profile: FACE-TO-FACE.
Lectures (18 h) including documentaries, group work: field-work (6 h), fieldwork diary, individual work, group presentations.

Accomplishment methods

Active participation in the lectures, fieldwork, reading requested course materials, group work regarding seminar class presentations and successful completion of a written essay or lecture diary (800 words).

Content

The content of the course will cover the following subjects:
- The historical background: important sources discussing drum use, sacrifice and Sámi pre-Christian religion
- The sacred Sámi drum as an instrument of divination, trance and ecstasy from the missionary sources
- Why Sámi drums, their use and symbolism were seen as such a threat by the authorities
- Sámi religion and drum use going underground
- The outlawing of sacrificial practices – how and why
- The re-emergence of drums in contemporary Sámi society
- The types of evidence available for the practices of sacrifice and Sámi religion in contemporary culture
- Sámi cultural heritage and tourism in Finland.

Location and time

The Course Sámi spiritual beliefs and practices includes 4 three-hour lectures and 3 fieldwork excursions which will support students in their place-based learning/education. There will be some costs for students on 2 of these excursions because transportation is involved, which will be discussed closer to the fieldwork dates.

All the lectures will be held at the University of Lapland main campus. Methods of teaching are face-to-face in classrooms which will begin on the hour and not 15 minutes after the hour.

During the lectures, short documentaries related to each of the subject matters being taught will be included. These are likewise, supported by literature outlined on the reading lists. Please note that students when reading independently and writing their essays, are advised to follow the recommended literature sources on the lists in connection with the lectures and not use other sources.

Our first fieldwork trip commences before the lectures in classes begin, and therefore, will take place on Sunday October 26th, 2025, and is related to the first lecture about sacrifice, offering practices and sacred sites (to be taught on 04.11.2025). Therefore, students have time to read and become familiar with the literature from the reading list on this topic beforehand, in connection with the subject matter.

The dates for lectures and fieldwork are as follows.

26.10. 2025. At 10am we will meet outside Pilke which is above the Arctic Centre to take a bus to Somosenkirkko which is an old Sámi offering place in Oikarainen which is a village approximately 25km from Rovaniemi center. The class will spend approximately one hour at the site and be given information about it. The cost is approximately 20e for each student for the return journey which will be by bus. Those who register for the course are expected to participate. We aim to travel there together as a group.

The first lecture: Sacrifice, Offering Practices and Sacred Stones will take place on 4.11.2025, at 9am (Room D156). Students need to see the reading list for this particular subject matter.

The second lecture is planned for 11.11.2025, at 9am (Room D156). The topic taught is: Prehistoric Rock Art and Sámi Cosmology. See the literature list for sources which support the teaching. 12-4pm Seminar for Nuccio.

The third lecture will take place on 17.11.2025, at 1pm (D156). The topic taught is: What Influence Does Ancient Drum Symbolism and Rock Art Have on Sámi Drum Makers Today?

The next scheduled teaching is a fieldwork excursion that takes place on 19.11.2025, and begins at 10am and ends at 12 noon, therefore, please be on time. This is a visit to the home of Ari and Irene Kangasniemi in Rovaniemi, who are local handicraft persons and artists. Their home address is: Ounasjoen itäpuolentie 925, 96900 Saarenkylä. Students will make their own way to the location. It is also possible to share a taxi for those without transport.

The education at the Kangasniemi workshop is concerned firstly with place-based learning in connection with how local handicrafts are made and what kinds of natural materials are used, including reindeer antler, skin and bone. During the visit, students will learn how to make an amulet using natural ingredients as directed by Irene Kangasniemi.

The last lecture will begin at 9am on 21.11.2025 (Room D156). The title is: Sámi Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Lapland.

On Saturday 22.11.2025, the final fieldwork excursion in relation to place-based-learning will take place where we will take a local bus to Santa Village at Napapiiri. The purpose for this education is for students to learn the differences between industrially made handicrafts and textiles compared to handmade ones. Our meeting point will be outside the H & M store in Revontuli shopping center at 11.15am. The excursion begins by visiting a couple of souvenir shops inside the shopping mall, and then at 12 noon we will take a bus.

Student presentations in connection with learning.

On December 4th, 2025, at 12-noon (Room D156), students will make presentations based on what they have learned during their attendance at lectures and participation in fieldwork. There are 4 main areas of learning in relation to what has been taught and therefore, students who plan to present on the same topics can join together as a group. Each person within respective groups is given 5 minutes presentation time.

Based on what is presented, each student will be assessed on 1). The content of their presentation. 2). Knowledge of the subject matter. 3). References used. 4). Presentation skills.

Essay writing. Deadline for submissions is December 22nd at 23.00.

To complete the studies students are required to write an 800-word essay based on one of the lecture topics chosen from the course. The essay paper should contain at the top the students name and student number as a means of identification.

Followed by a title in the form of a research question, an introduction to the subject matter, main body - argument, and a conclusion. Direct quotations used from literature sources should be referenced using quotation marks in the paper. For example: Joy (2018: 142) has noted, "the parallels between rock paintings and noaidi drum symbolism in relation to Sámi and Finnish prehistories and oral traditions" in his work.

Please note students should not copy and paste large quotations into their written work.

Once the essay is finished it will be submitted via Moodle. Please note, all submitted essays are checked for plagiarism. In addition, please do not use Artificial Intelligence for essay writing it is strictly forbidden. Those who do will fail the course. Please see the following guidelines concerning this matter: Koulutus - Use-of-Artificial-Intelligence-Based-Tools-at-the-University-of-Lapland.pdf - Kaikki asiakirjat (sharepoint.com)

In addition, also see this document about research ethics and good scholarly practice in Finland in relation to plagiarism: https://tenk.fi/fi/hyva-tieteellinen-kaytanto-htk

Materials

Literature recommended:

Ahlbäck, T. & Bergman, J. The Saami Shaman Drum. Based on Papers Read at the Symposium on the Saami Shaman Drum held at Åbo, Finland, on the 19th-20th of August 1988. The Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International.

Fonneland, T. & Äikäs, T. (2020). The Making of Sámi Religion in Contemporary Society. Religions 2020, 11(11), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11110547.

Joy, F. (2017). Noaidi Drums from Sápmi, Rock Paintings in Finland and Sámi Cultural Heritage: an Investigation. First View Article / Polar Record: A Journal of Arctic and Antarctic Research, pp. 1–20. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0032247416000917.

Joy, F. (2020). Sámi Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Finland. In M. Tennberg, H. Lempinen & S. Pirnes (Eds) Resources, Social and Cultural Sustainabilities in the Arctic. Oxon: Routledge, pp. 144–162.

Joy, F. (2018). Sámi Shamanism, Cosmology and Art as Systems of Embedded Knowledge. Doctoral Dissertation. Acta Universitatis Lapponiensis 367. The University of Lapland. Available at: http://lauda.ulapland.fi/handle/10024/63178.

Joy, F. (2020). The Importance of the Sun Symbol in the Restoration of Sámi Spiritual Traditions and Healing Practices. Religions, 6, 11. pp. 1–22. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/6/270/htm

Joy, F. (2016). The Vitträsk Rock Painting and the Theory of a Sámi Cosmological Landscape. Suomen Antropologi Issue 3, Volume 41: pp. 44-68. https://journal.fi/suomenantropologi/article/view/60389.

Laestadius, L.-L. (1838-1845 [2002]). Fragments of Lappish Mythology. J. Pentikäinen (Ed.). Beaverton, Canada: Aspasia Books.

Lahelma, A. (2008). A Touch of Red: Archaeological and Ethnographic Approaches to Interpreting Finnish Rock Paintings. Suomen muinaismuistoyhdistys ry - Finska fornminnesföreningen rf. The Finnish Antiquarian Society. Iskos 15. Helsinki: The Finnish Antiquarian Society.

Lehtola, V.-P. (2003). From Heritage to Modern Art – Spiritual Heritage – the Starting Point of Today’s Art. In J. Pennanen & K. Näkkäläjärvi (Eds) SIIDDASTALLAN: From Lapp Communities to Modern Sámi Life. Jyväskylä: Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, pp. 162–164.

Lehtola, V.-P. (2002). The Sámi People. Traditions in Transition. Inari: Kustannus-Puntsi.

Mathisen, S. R. (2010). Indigenous Spirituality in the Touristic Borderzone: Virtual Performances of Sámi Shamanism in Sápmi Park. Temenos Vol. 46 No. 1 (2010), 53–72. The Finnish Society for the Study of Religion: https://journal.fi/temenos/article/download/6941/6753.

Mattila, T. (2018). Needs of the Sámi people for intellectual property protection from the viewpoint of copyright and trademarks – especially with regard to duodji-handicrafts and the Sámi dresses Publications of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland: https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/161206/OKM_40_18_Needs_of_the_Sami_people-WEB111218.pdf.

Mulk, I.-M. & Bayliss-Smith, T. (2007). Liminality, Rock Art and the Sami Sacred Landscape. Journal of Northern Studies, Numbers 1–2. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271068683_Liminality_rock_art_and_the_Sami_sacred_landscape.

Nunez, M. (1995). Reflections of Finnish Rock Art and Ethnohistorical Data. In Fennoscandia Archaeologica XXI: 123–135. Available at: http://www.sarks.fi/fa/PDF/FA12_123.pdf.

Porsanger, J. (2003). A Close Relationship to Nature – the Basis of Religion. In J. Pennanen & K. Näkkäläjärvi (Eds) SIIDDASTALLAN: From Lapp Communities to Modern Sámi Life. Jyväskylä: Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, pp. 151–155. Pulkkinen, R., Kulonen, U.-M. & Seurujärvi-Kari, I. (Eds) (2005). The Saami: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society-SKS.

Pulkkinen, R.. Kulonen, U.-M., Seurujärvi-Kari, I. (eds.) (2005). The Saami. A Cultural Encyclopedia. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society-SKS. Vammalan kirjapaino Oy.

Solbakk, A. (2018). What We Believe In. Noaidivuohta – An Introduction to the Religion of the Northern Sámi. New Expanded Edition. ČálliidLágádus

Solbakk, J. T. (Ed.). Traditional Knowledge and Copyright. Karasjok: Sámikopiija.

Whitaker, I. (1957). The Holy Places of the Lapps (English summary). In Ernst Manker, Lapparnas Heliga Ställen: Kultplaster och Offerkult i Belysning av Nordiska Museets och Landsantikvariernas fältundersökningar. Acta Lapponica; 13. Stockholm: Geber.

Äikäs, T. & Salmi, A.-K. (2013). The Sieidi is a Better Altar / the Noaidi Drum’s a Purer Church Bell: Long Term Changes and Syncretism at Sámi Offering Sites. World Archaeology, 45 (1): 64–82.

Äikas, T. (2019). Religion of the past or living heritage? Dissemination of Knowledge on Sámi Religion in Museums in Northern Finland. The Journal Nordic Museology, 27 (3). Available at: https://www.academia.edu/41852109./Religion_of_the_past_or_living_heritage_Dissemination_of_knowledge_on_S%C3%A1mi_religion_in_museums_in_Northern_Finland.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Fail (0): Performance is highly deficient or erroneous. The work may be based on serious misunderstandings.

Sufficient (1): Performance is lacking in scope, is superficial, or corresponds poorly to the assignment. The work may contain errors or obscurities.

Satisfactory (2): Performance corresponds somewhat to the assignment, but may contain obscurities. The author merely lists things out of context or addresses them one-sidedly.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good (3): Performance corresponds to the assignment, manifesting comprehension and a skill to analyse and justify. The author has addressed the issue comprehensively, but the work may contain some deficiencies.

Very good (4): Performance manifests extensive comprehension as well as skills of interpretation and critical reflection. The work corresponds well to the assignment, and creates a coherent and consistent whole.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent (5): Performance delineates an extensive whole and the author can apply knowledge in a multifaceted way or place it in various contexts. The work manifests independency and insight, and it is a flawless entity that involves justified thinking or critical contemplation.

Qualifications

There are no previous studies required. However, participating in the Introduction to the Arctic and People and Cultures and Identities of the Arctic courses will be advantageous.