Fjordscapes and cultural translations in Unjárga

In this presentation, I describe and discuss sites in Unjárga that are often translated as “sacred sites” or “sacrificial sites”. A multidisciplinary look at the sites in both past and present reveals that these translations are originally based on Christian categories of “idolatry”, and as such only reveal a narrow aspect of the multitude of meanings they have provided, and still provide, to people. First, several of the stones, mountains, and cliff formations along the Várjjat fjord have served as navigation points, vihtan, as the locals have used them to find shallows that are favourable for fishing. Several written sources describe how piscators would bring the head or guts of a fish to some of these sites after a good catch. It seems that it is these texts that have later come to dominate the discourse rather than the practical uses. Second, these sites are still important. The municipality of Unjárga, the Várjjat Saami museum, and several other organs have invested in the management and display of the cultural heritage in Unjárga. My project will therefore also set focus on the projects, applications, and bureaucratic manoeuvres that concern sites along the Várjjat fjord. By this, I hope to shed light on the importance of landscape for the coastal Saami identity of both the municipality and the people living in Unjárga. By drawing on historical texts, archival sources, interviews, and phenomenological archaeology I hope to convey a holistic understanding of the importance of heritage sites in Unjárga.