The Sámi, often referred to as “Lapps” in English, are the indigenous people of arctic Europe. Their homeland for thousands of years, named Sápmi in their own language, is now divided between four states: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Their estimated number is between 60,000 to 80,000, with the majority living within Norway. This is estimation, because, for obvious reasons, there is no such thing as a Sámi citizenship. The Sámi language belongs to the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic languages, and is related to Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and a number of minority languages in the Russian Federation. Traditionally the Sámi have been nomads, their livelihood based on reindeer husbandry and fishing.

After five centuries of attempts at forced assimilation by national governments and Christian missionaries, Sámi language and culture was threatened with extinction by the middle of the 20^th century. But the turning point came in 1979, when the Norwegian government came up with a proposal to dam up the Alta river in Norway’s northernmost county for a hydroelectric scheme, a plan that included flooding Sámi settlements and traditional reindeer pastures. The plan sparked massive protests from the Sámi. The protest movement that followed escalated into a major conflict between the Norwegian government and Sámi activists supported by sympathizers from all over Norway and other countries. The Sámi lost the battle and the dam was built, but on a smaller scale than originally planned and the Sámi settlements were spared. But the conflict had drawn attention to the existence of an indigenous minority that had been disregarded and repressed for centuries, and most importantly, it restored pride to the Sámi over their culture and identity and the courage to show it to the world.

In this atmosphere of rediscovered pride, a number of talented young Sámi artists emerged, combining old Sámi artistic traditions with modern expressions in the fields of visual art and music. It also led to the creation of the first Sámi theatre in Norway, Beaivváš Sámi Teáhter, which opened in 1981 with a play called “Min duoddarat” (Our Highlands), a musical satire about the conflict surrounding the building of the dam. The name of the theatre, Beaivváš, is the Sámi word for “day” and “sun”, symbolizing both the life-giving power of the sun and the importance of bringing Sámi cultural identity out into the light.

The use of theatre as an artistic expression is a new element in Sámi culture, which rests on an age old – and still continued – tradition of music and story-telling stretching far back to pre-Christian times. The traditional Sámi vocal music, called “yoik”, is a unique way of chanting. Often spontaneously improvised, the yoik expresses the mood of the chanter. It may be inspired by the surrounding nature, or it may describe a person or an animal. Joyful or sad, the yoik begins and ends abruptly, and the melody is equally as descriptive as the words. Every Sámi has his own personal yoik, composed by a relative or a friend, that describes the person’s character.

From its beginnings in 1981, Beaivváš has grown from being a small theatre group run by idealistic enthusiasts with little or no financial support, to its present status as the Norwegian National Sámi Theatre Company, fully subsidized by the Norwegian government. The theatre’s aim is to strengthen Sámi identity through the production of plays of professional quality in the Sámi language, as well as to promote Sámi culture in Norway and abroad. The company is based in Kautokeino, one of the largest Sámi communities, situated on the inland highlands of North Norway. But as a touring theatre it covers vast areas of northern Scandinavia, as well as regularly performing in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The company is often invited to give guest performances far outside the borders of Norway, travelling as far as Greenland in the west, Spanish Basque Country in the south, and eastern Siberia.

Although varied in form and content, music and visual expression have always been an integral part of the company’s productions. Original interpretations of Sámi myths, legends and fairytales formed the backbone of the repertoire in the first decade, but the company’s artistic break-through came in 1985, with the play “Vaikko čuođi stálu…” (Even if a hundred Ogres…). The play was a journey through Sámi history, based on authentic historical writing, presented through a series of choreographic tableaux, using masks, mime and music rather than words. The play was revived for performances at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

From the 1990’s there was an increase in productions of originally written plays focusing on the realities of modern Sámi life. “Váimmugiella” (The Language of the Heart, 1992) consisted of three monologues about the significance of the of the Sami language for self-esteem and feelings of identity. “Earalágán” (Different, 1992) took up the theme of prejudice against homosexuals in Sámi society. “Dearvvuođat” (Greetings, 1993) wove thoughts around the theme of suicide among young Sámi men, while “Skoavdnji” (1994) was a ghost story that focused on alcoholism and domestic violence.

The first experiment in crossing international classics with Sámi expression was the 1989 production of Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”, where Sámi yoik mixed successfully with Andalucian flamenco. Other major international dramatists performed in Sámi include Chekhov, Gogol, Brecht, Goethe and Shakespeare. In 1991 the theatre performed a Japanese kabuki play from the early 1700s, “Narukami”, adapted to Sámi mythology.

The Beaivváš Theatre Company exists in extreme climatic conditions, with temperatures falling as low as 40 degrees below zero during winter. In 1991 the company decided to take the challenge and turn this into an asset, staging Brecht’s “The Good Person of Sezuan” in the open air in a huge set made of ice and snow, set against the flickering background of the Northern Lights. The production attracted attention far outside the boundaries of Norway, and in 2000 a new production based on the same ice-and-snow theatre concept was produced. This time it was the medieval myth of “The Tale of Volund” that formed the basis of the story. In 2003 a very ambitious scheme was conceived – to build a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in ice. The opening, with “Hamlet” performed by Beaivváš in a Sámi translation, drew spectators from the far corners of the world.

I have only mentioned a few of the more than 100 productions that Beaivváš has staged through the company’s short history. But our theatre will continue to give new expressions to traditional Sámi culture, reflect on the realities of today’s Sámi society, make the existence of the Sámi known to the outside world and build bridges of understanding between cultures through the means of the art of theatre.

Haukur J. Gunnarsson

Artistic Director

Beaivváš Sámi Teáhter