Many of you may have heard about the resistance of Sámi people against the Alta-Kautokeino hydroelectric dam in the 1970s-1980s. Even though the dam was built, the Sámi resistance including hunger strikes was hugely influential not only for indigenous rights movement among the Sámi, but also worldwide. In a way we can trace the impact from there to the UN Forum for indigenous rights and the UNDRIP.

The Sámi national theatre Beaivváš turned this story into a piece, called Ellos Eatnu! . In Rovaniemi they are going to give a guest performance on 1 March 2022. Tickets and info here

Here is what the programme text says:

“The three real people who took part in the Alta campaign will have their stories revealed in the play. They have been interviewed as witnesses and the public can hear three Sámi perspectives on history. The three main events are the focus of the hunger strike in Oslo in 1979, the police operation in Stilla in 1981 and the Bridge Blasting Attempt in 1982. The story is told through dialogue, monologues, song, rap, joik, hip hop and dance, and will also include documentary as well as historical and artistic material.”

For those interested in relations of indigenous people and the state, industrial development and indigenous rights surely this will be worth watching. But only if you know Sámi or Finnish…