Friday the 5th of June, I got a phone call from Hildegunn Bruland, the head of administration at the Centre for Sami Studies in UiT The Arctic University of Norway. She wanted to let me know that I had won the Árdna award 2019! This is a recognition for my indigenous ethnography presented in the Master thesis of Tourism Studies.
The committee presented by professor em. Bjørg Evjen (Sesam) and associate professor Åse Mette Johansen (Department of Language and Culture), had made a unanimous decision amongst nine strong candidates and written the following statement about my thesis:
Finally, the winner of the Árdna Award 2019 is Ellen-Johanne Kvalsvik with her thesis submitted at Department of Tourism and Northern Studies, Campus Alta. The study is entitled The Art of Performing Sound in Sámi Tourism: Decolonising Sápmi by Sounding Care in Verdde Tourism. It is based on an ethnographic fieldwork in the Finnmark tundra in close cooperation with Vuolit Mollešjohka Duottarstohpu, its owner Molleš Piera (Per Edvard Johnsen), and his family.
Kvalsvik analyses ways of knowing, being and doing in and through so-called soundscapes by participating in the family practice jávredikšun (caretaking) to all the verddes (guest-friends) that pass through the family’s meahcci (nurture land). In this theoretically and empirically sophisticated work, Kvalsvik demonstrates thorough knowledge about key concerns regarding Sámi issues and nature, and heritage experiences as part of tourism, not least through the integration of the mentioned Sámi concepts in the analysis.
Kvalsvik advances our understanding of the complexities, dynamics and relations of tourism in an Indigenous context and how it intertwines with cultural, social and spatial relations through its performance. In addition, the thesis speaks to the reader’s senses through pictures and poetry in a way that both pushes the boundaries of an academic text and fulfils the study’s purpose.
This work is a remarkable achievement. The committee extends its congratulations to the winner!
The prize is a scholarship of 10 000 NOK, a diploma and a pass to the famous indigenous festival Riddu Riđđu. The prize was presented and rewarded at the festival Saturday the 13th of July at 11:45 in the Manndalen Library in Kåfjord municipality.
This is my speech of gratitude (Giittossárdni)
Ollu váimmolaš giitto!
Thank you from the bottom of my hart, for recognising a work that has been very hard in so many ways!
Luckily, I was never alone throughout this process. Even though I have been the one to handle the ups and downs of a word document, this is the result of great teamwork.
First, I want to thank the university for facilitating such a great internationally recognised study close to my homeplace at Sørøya in Finnmark. I would probably not have had the chance to study if it was further away from home. And what a great academic community the Department of Tourism and Northern studies have gathered at Campus Alta. I have never met such balanced, open, honest and well-informed discussions about indigenous communities elsewhere. Thanks to them and the students I have really had the time of my life digging into really important questions about tourism and what it can be in the future to come if we act responsibly.
I am humble to have been nominated by my exam commitee, Trine Kvidal Røvik and Carina Ren. The oral exam was really engaging and remarkable enough felt far too short of time.
I am also thankful to have found fellow thinkers in the research community of Science and Technology Studies (STS), as well as within the philosophy of phenomenology. One of them is my supervisor Britt Kramvig, who has wisely guided me through this process, showed me where to look for answers to some of my questions and sometimes held me back so that I would have work left for my PhD. Thank you so much, Britt, for believing in me!
The reason why this has been such an engaging field to work with is the encounter with a truly wise man in the midst of the Finnmark Tundra. I am so grateful to have been working with verdde Molleš Piera. He has guided me through his meahcci and his practises of jávredikšun, discussed important aspects of balancing commodification and respect for local traditions that has become the idea of a sensuous verdde tourism. This is true sustainability, and he does it by combining his stories with traditional practises that afford all our senses and informs of the importance to look back but think forward. Thank you, Piera, for essential contributions to build sustainable tourism in the Arctic!
Then a thank you to my family that has provided me with support and for taking care of my son. Especially to my husband for still sticking around after more then 150 lonely nights while his wife was trying to pull this work together.
To my indigenous ancestors that I have found to be from multiple places within the Arctic. Thank you for finally guiding me in this direction!
Again, ollu váimmolaš gittu! I am so proud to have won this special award!