3.1 Reclaiming joik

Tyler Tully (2022, p. 9), an American religious studies scholar, argues that what English-speaking people refer to as ‘religion’ has no equivalent term in many other cultures and languages. Tisa Wenger (2022, p. 3), an American historian of religion, also argues that the word ‘religion’ is a product of specific European histories and has never been a comfortable fit for Indigenous knowledges and traditions.

You might be wondering, then, what the appropriate term is to describe the knowledges and practices of Indigenous peoples. The short answer to this is to use vernacular terms, meaning the terms that Indigenous people use themselves. You will now be introduced to the Sámi practice of joik and learn how it has been described using religious terminology and the impact of such translation.

Joik is a Sámi oral tradition that resembles singing. It was forbidden for generations, especially in Christian churches, where it was viewed as the work of ‘the devil’ (Kraft, 2015, p. 235). Today, joik has emerged as a key symbol of Sámi resilience. Historically, it has been linked to noaidi, often categorised as a ‘shamanic chant’ (Anderson, 2005).

However, joik is no longer prohibited or regarded exclusively as an expression of shamanism or even Sámi religion. Relocating joik away from ‘religion’ cuts the link to the categories that Sámi knowledges, worldviews and relations were historically classified into (such as ‘shamanism,’ ‘animism,’ ‘paganism,’ and even ‘devil-worship’). Presenting joik as it is, liberates it from being confined to hierarchical order of religions, which you will learn more about in the following section. This reclaiming of joik can be seen as an example of anticolonial or decolonial Indigenous resistance.

Today, many Sámi, including those who are not noaidi, perform joik to express their Sámi identity, as well as to advocate for political, social, and environmental causes that are important to them.

Activity 6 Reclaiming joik

Allow approximately 45 minutes to complete this activity.

You will now watch a talk by Mari Boine, a Sámi singer, musician, activist, and one of the most renowned performers of joik. As you watch, pay attention to how she presents herself and her homeland, Sápmi, and how she describes joik as a ‘way of remembering.’ Notice also how she discusses Sámi practices being labelled as ‘devil-worship,’ the effects this had on her and her community, and her journey of healing from colonial traumas.

Part 1

Start with watching first part of the video (00:00–06:30 mins) and then answer the following question.

Video 3: Mari Boine: Unshaming my Indigenous Heritage

Transcript

In this part of the video, Mari Boine introduces herself and her homeland Sápmi. She lists several names that were given by colonisers to her homeland. Select all the correct answers:

Lapland

Northern Norway

Greenland

Northern Scandinavia

Arctic

Finnmark

 

Part 2

Now watch the next section of the video (06:30–08:40 mins) and then answer the following question.

In this part of the video, Mari Boine explains that berry picking was something elders taught in order to survive long winters, along with an unspoken message. What was that message? Select all the correct answers:

Never take more than nature can tolerate.

Nature exists primarily for human use.

Never take more than you need.

Take as much as you can while you can.

Leave a place as it was before you arrived.

Make sure you mark the places you go, so you and others know that it is your territory.

 

Part 3

Continue watching the video (08:40–13:47 mins) and then answer the following question.

In this part of the video, Boine shares her understanding of joik as a way of remembering, as well as the impact of priests and missionaries. What did they do in Sápmi? Select all the correct answers:

Banned and burned Sámi drums.

Purge what they described as paganism.

Punished Sámi noaidis.

Respected noaidies as Sámi spiritual leaders in the same way as Christian priests.

Instil feelings of shame and self-hatred among Sámi people.

Affirm Sámi people’ sense of pride and self-worth.

Convince Sámi communities that their worldview was a devil worship.

Recognised Sámi ways of knowing as legitimate and equal to the Christian worldview.

 

Part 4

Now watch the video to the end (13:47–26:52) and then answer the following question.

In this last part of the video (13:47–26:52), Boine talks about her experiences of performing around the world. She reflects on meeting Indigenous peoples from many regions and learning that the Sámi were not alone in being subjected to colonial violence. According to Boine, what experiences do Indigenous peoples worldwide share? Select all that apply:

People who have inherited myths, stories, songs, rituals, and strategies for survival.

Communities that voluntarily abandoned their ways of living, being and knowing.

Peoples who live in close relationship with their land and the Earth.

Communities that benefited equally from colonial economic development.

Subjected to colonial powers that attempted to demonise, displace, and erase Indigenous peoples and their collective knowledge.