THE SAMI’S SONG OF SURVIVAL: Indigenous Resistance on the Northern Frontier — directed by iara lee (a Cultures Of Resistance film)
The Sami people, based primarily in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, continue their struggles against colonialism, old and new. For centuries, they have been fighting institutionalized racism, marginalization, and the repression of their culture and language. Although they have won recognition and respect, their struggle has not ended. Deforestation, hydro-power dams, green colonialism and the effects of climate change on reindeer herding threaten the very core of their existence. Yet, through artistic means such as theatrical truth commissions and the traditional joik music, the Sami are proving once more that cultural resistance is existence.
[Photo courtesy of Iara Lee.]