sijddaj máhttsat means "coming home" in Lule Sámi

2022 marks a century since the State institute for racial biology opened.

The physical legacy of the institute consists of 12000 photos, of which the majority are of Sámi, and documents with measurements of Sámi bodies. At Uppsala U, and at other state institutions, human remains of Sámi are kept in boxes. Sámi cultural artefacts, drums and seite,  ared stored at institutions in Sweden and abroad.

Placed at the Centre for Multidisciplinary research on racism, Cemfor, at Uppsala Univ, sijddaj máhttsamin - coming home - revolves around the ambition to bring “home” Sámi cultural artefacts and human remains while exploring how Sámi communities and individuals can relate to (im)material memories of colonisation, through academic research and practice along with the development of research ethics built on Indigenous – Sámi perspectives.

It is a major turn to wrestle out of (internalized) colonialism, of the potential for Sámi to no longer be the Other, but instead being at home.

Led by a Sámi scholar this is a supradisciplinary project working collaborative and action oriented with the civil society.

Epistemological and methodological bases are within History of science and technology; Feminist Technoscience; Racism Studies, Indigenous Studies and methodologies and collaborates with Sámi organisations, individuals, artists and activists and policy makers, as well as with the institutions concerned.