Loga sámegillii. – It is so wrong that in the old days remains were taken from the graves in the Utsjok area. This should never have happened, says the president of the Sami Parliament in Finland, Pirita Näkkäläjärvi to news. She thinks the case is very deplorable and is clear that they should get a grave again in the Sami area in Finland. 47 Sami skeletons were exhumed in 1922 from two burial grounds in northern Finland, and taken south to Norway and the University of Oslo. In the Sami community in Utsjok in Finland, people were left shocked. There was often dissatisfaction with such excavations. They could be perceived as blasphemous, i.e. blasphemous and as an attack on the memory of the ancestors. This was for racial research, as the University of Oslo also collected Sami skeletons in other places as well, show documents from the University of Oslo that news has. MUST INVESTIGATE: The Sami Parliament and Sami Parliament Councilor Runar Myrnes Balto ask the university to investigate where 47 skulls may have disappeared. Photo: Nils John Porsanger / news But now the remains must be returned. The only problem is that all 47 skulls of the remains are gone. The University of Oslo cannot tell news where they are. – Skulls not sent – No skulls were sent to the collection, claims Lene Frost Andersen, who is head of department at the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at UiO. The president of the Sami Parliament in Finland reacts violently to the information that UiO does not know where the skulls are. – It is terrible that the skulls are missing. It does not seem like a humane way to handle the case, to separate skulls and skeletons, says Piritta Näkkäläjärvi to news. REACTS: The president of the Finnish Sami Parliament also reacts to the fact that the university has no written information about where the skulls may be. – This should never have happened, says Piritta Näkkäläjärvi. Photo: The Sami Parliament in Finland Nor can the university give any explanation as to who opened the graves and brought them to Oslo, even though this was during the time when Professor Kristian Emil Schreiner was managing the collection in 1922. Now the Sami Parliament in Norway is taking action. They believe that the University of Oslo must start research. – I believe that investigations related to this must be initiated, and that it is natural that such responsibility must initially lie with the University of Oslo, says Sámi Parliament Councilor Runar Sammol Myrnes Balto at the Sámi Parliament in Norway. The president of the Finnish Sami Parliament fully agrees that investigations should be started on the 47 skulls. – This case is very regrettable. The matter must be investigated so that the Sami people can find out what has happened, she says. In the past, around 200 Sami remains have been buried in Finland. BURIALS IN FINLAND: These are Sami skulls to be buried in Finland. Around 200 Sami remains were buried in 2022 after they were stored in Finnish universities. Photo: YLE / YLE These were taken to Finnish universities and were eventually transferred and stored at the Sámi Musea in Inari. The archaeologist Eija Ojanlatva was one of those responsible for the process. She thinks the Norwegian history linked to the University of Oslo is special since all 47 skulls are missing. – It is interesting that the skulls are missing. They were interested in skulls earlier. They used to take only skulls, explains archaeologist Eija Ojanlatva at the Sámi Musea. 200 SKULLS IN THE GROUND: Finland has also dug up remains from Sami graves. The picture is from 2022 when a number of remains were buried in Inari. Utsjok, where the University of Oslo has collected Sami skeletons, is the neighboring municipality. Photo: YLE / YLE – The funeral process should start in the near future. People in Utsjok would very much like to have their ancestors back, says Eija Ojanlatva to news. LONG READING: Ingar wants his great-great-grandmother home READ: Rejects Ingar’s demand to search for his great-great-great-grandmother The Sami Parliament in Norway currently has the ultimate responsibility for the skeleton collection, which has over 1,000 remains. Previously, the University of Oslo decided everything itself. Scattered away skull former Sámi parliament member Myrnes Balto does not rule out that there are other institutions that may have participated in the excavations and received the skulls in their time. In the past there has been noise related to the fact that one of two central skulls was missing from the collection at the University of Oslo. It was about the remains of Jáhkoš Ásslat and Mons Somby who were both beheaded after the Kautokeino rebellion in 1852. This was a rebellion against the authorities. Jáhkoš Ásslat was one of the rebels. His skull was exchanged to the University of Copenhagen, for two Inuit skulls from Greenland. BATTLE FOR THE SKULLS: In 1997, Jáhkoš Áslat and Mons Somby were buried. The relatives fought for a long time to have the skulls returned and buried. In addition, Jáhkoš Áslat’s skull was given to Denmark. Photo: Harry Johansen / NTB It was not until 1997 that the skulls of Jáhkoš Áslat and Mons Somby were buried, after they had been found. The Sami skulls from the Finnish side that are now gone are yet another story where the University of Oslo cannot explain where the skulls are, or details about excavations. – The information we have about the individual remains does not contain any information about the skulls from the Utsjok remains or about the exchange of skulls from the Utsjok remains, says Lene Frost Andersen, Head of Department at the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the University of Oslo. Missing Finnish “channel” The President of the Sami Parliament in Finland is clear in his speech to news. Now they demand that all 47 remains be returned. – The remains should be returned to where they belong. They should be buried in the ground again. Such a return will strengthen human dignity, it is ethical and it will bring peace, says Sámi Parliament president Piritta Näkkäläjärvi. The University of Oslo points out that they have never received any inquiries from Finland, and that they have not had such a “channel” before. NO COMMUNICATION: The University of Oslo has not had ways to communicate with Finnish environments, believes Lene Frost Andersen, who is Head of Department at the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at UiO. Photo: Kim Jansson – UiO has not received any inquiries from Finland. There are no established communication channels or agreements on historical remains between UiO and relevant institutions in Finland, says Lene Frost Andersen at UiO. Nor has there ever been a formal agreement between Finland and Norway to keep the skeletons in Oslo. – It is highly objectionable. It is important to sort this out now, says Piritta Näkkäläjärvi. Reversion starts in the autumn But after the news interviews, the Sami parliaments in Norway and Finland have reached a common agreement. They will work to ensure that everything is taken from Oslo back to Finland. The process is thus underway, since the Sami Parliament in Norway can decide on such reburials. – We completely agree that the goal is to return the remains to Utsjok, Ohcejohka, says Sami parliament councilor in Norway, Myrnes Balto. When should the 47 Sami remains be buried in Utsjok? – As soon as possible, says Myrnes Balto. From August, the Sámi Parliament will create a project position to work concretely with both the Finnish-Sámi reburial, but also other similar matters. Jan Rune Måsø / news Lahja Guttorm (75), Nuvvos in Utsjok Lahja Guttorm is from the small village of Nuvvos in Utsjok municipality in Finland, which is one of the burial grounds that was robbed. – This is consecrated ground, and they should be allowed to be there. I’ve heard it’s for research, she says. Jan Rune Måsø / news Samuel Vuolab (72), Utsjok Jámežiidguolbba, or Dødningsletta, one of the places where the graves were robbed, is a few kilometers away from Samuel Vuolab (72). – It’s against the Burial Act. It is perhaps even worse that another country has done this, he says. ‘ Jan Rune Måsø / news Ilpo Nilluka, Utsjok, church servant – When they have stolen remains, then it is wrong, says Ilpo Nilluka in Utsjok. Still, he thinks it would be fun to know more about the differences between Sami and other people. Jan Rune Måsø / news Johan Ovllá Tapiola (42), shop employee, Utsjok Johan Ovllá Tapiola (42) works at the shop in Utsjok. – When you have stolen something, it doesn’t belong to you, he says of the University of Oslo and the Sami remains from Utsjok. X-rays taken The University of Oslo states that there will be no research on the Utsjok remains, apart from a few x-rays that have been taken for research. There are also written descriptions of these remains from 1922. In the collection of the Utsjok Sami, a decorated metal button and a metal ring were found. An iron nail is also preserved in another box. Beyond this, the university does not have information on whether the material has been used in research. In the Sami municipality of Nesseby in Finnmark, there is a similar requirement that 130 remains be brought back and buried. This is how you get home the Sami remains Published 20.07.2024, at 10.55
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Claims back 47 remains from Norway to Finland – news Sápmi
