Will collaborate across generations on Sami and local food traditions

Together with local actors shall Nordland Research Institute investigate Sami and local food traditions in Sállto/Salten. The knowledge will help preserve and continue the traditions, including through school collaboration.

The Sállto/Salten region in Nordland has rich food traditions based on hunting, fishing, livestock farming, reindeer herding and gathering berries, mushrooms and plants, closely linked to nature, seasons and working life. The rich natural resources in Salten have shaped indigenous food production and processing methods, and not least its own dishes.  

In the new project "Biebmolassi - Reconciling Sámi Food Systems" will Researchers from Nordland Research Institute map and highlight such food traditions.  

Biebmolassi is a Sami expression for food shortage and is linked to practices such as harvesting, self-storage, food production and processing.

— We are pleased that the Research Council of Norway has awarded us funding to work on promoting and furthering knowledge about Sami and local food culture and practices in Salten, says Camilla Risvoll, senior researcher at Nordland Research Institute .  

The allocated funds are a follow-up to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations. The project is led by Researchers at the University of Tromsø, in collaboration with Nordland Research Institute , the regional players Salten Mat and Várdobáiki in Troms, and the University of Lapland, Finland.  

The project has its focus areas in Sállto/Salten in Nordland Stuornjárga/Skånlandhalvøya in southern Troms, where Nordland Research Institute will work in Salten. Collaboration with local actors is key.  

—There are many people in Salten who have a lot of knowledge about and work hard to elevate local food culture. We want to get in touch with more organizations and individuals who are interested in Sami and local food culture.

Promises local and Sami food culture 

By mapping and highlighting Sami and local food systems, food culture and practices, the Biebmolassi project will demonstrate their importance in light of the themes of preparedness, culture and reconciliation.

The Norwegianization process has been strong in the Salten region. The researchers will investigate the extent to which this has hindered the practice of various Sami food practices and prevented the transfer of knowledge about these important food traditions and methods between generations. It is important to understand the history of Salten better in order to understand the current situation.

— In collaboration with local cultural and knowledge bearers, we hope to be able to highlight the diversity of food practices that exist in the region, both historically and today. The goal is to map and contribute to the work of preserving what we actually have in terms of food culture, says Risvoll, who is responsible for the project's efforts in Salto/Salten, together with colleagues Solveig Øye Bjørdal and Maiken Bjørkan, also Researchers by Nordland Research Institute .     

Traditional food for new generations 

In the Biebmolassi project, researchers will delve into stories, literature, and folktales, and not least collaborate with local practitioners and bearers of food culture. They will map local food arenas and participate in local festivals and food markets.  

And – the project will go into the school kitchen.  

– We have already established a collaboration with a primary and secondary school in Salten, with the goal of teaching children and young people more about Sami and local food culture and practices related to food addiction in Salten, says Risvoll.  

The project will also include the creation of a cookbook that highlights local and Sami food culture.  

– We hope to showcase different ways of harvesting, processing and preserving different types of food, and not least to discover both old and newer recipes. The different dishes will be linked to the places and stories where they come from and present the local methods that have been used in cooking, says Risvoll.

– At the same time, the Salten youth are probably not ignorant. Food traditions are strong in the region and there are many who work hard to keep them alive, says Risvoll.  

But even though some people bring a lot of knowledge from home, the researcher believes that many of today's young people are still quite unfamiliar with the food traditions of older generations.

– They probably have a more distant relationship with natural resources than, for example, their grandparents. It is important that children and young people gain knowledge about where food comes from, how it can be processed and that it belongs to different seasons, says Risvoll.  

Local food as a contingency  

The tense geopolitical situation in Europe has put public safety and preparedness high on the agenda. Risvoll points out that knowledge about food shortages and local food production is also important in a preparedness context.

– Much of our food in Norway is imported. If only the elderly know the methods of harvesting, processing and preserving, preparedness may be weakened. This knowledge is often not written down and often has to be transferred through actual hunting, fishing, gathering, gutting, cleaning and processing.

If more people become familiar with the different dishes found in Salten, the researcher believes many will be surprised by how rich and varied the food culture here actually is.  

– Food traditions largely stem from places, families, and what natural resources have been available. Salten has a food platter and a diverse culture that we want to highlight in the Biebmolassi project through co-creating knowledge in collaboration with local actors, she says.