{"id":115,"date":"2026-02-13T13:58:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T11:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.wrkshp.fi\/carpa9\/?p=115"},"modified":"2026-02-25T15:19:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T13:19:35","slug":"maadtoe-and-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nivel.teak.fi\/carpa9\/maadtoe-and-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Maadtoe and performance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The current study examines the application of Indigenous terminology in discussions of performance, focusing on the themes of ancestral knowledge and heritage. The performance Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/em> by the North S\u00e1mi artists Johan Sara Jr and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa unfolds through the Northern S\u00e1mi term Maadtoe<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Different Indigenous communities have unique terminologies for referring to their heritage and ancestral knowledge. In the M\u0101ori community, the term Whakapapa<\/em> is applied, while in the Northern S\u00e1mi community, the term Maadtoe<\/em> articulates the interconnectedness with land and ancestry, as well as relational responsibilities within Indigenous knowledge (Te Hira et al. 2022). Each S\u00e1mi language has a variation of the term, but Maadtoe<\/em> is specifically applied within the Northern S\u00e1mi community (Te Hira et al. 2022), which is important, as the case discussed in this paper and the artists represented are from the Northern Sapmi area. Ancestral knowledge and connection to the land manifest in the S\u00e1mi duodji and creativity connected to it (Guttorm 2012, 2015). This means that S\u00e1mi creative individuals use their creative practices to claim their identity and connect to their traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arts-based research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The current research applies an arts-based research method (Chilton & Leavy 2014) due to the curatorial and management tasks implemented by the manager-curator-researcher, who has institutional affiliation with Nordlandsmuseet and helped organise the earlier performance presentation as a part of the Sapmi Triennala project in Karasjok. The researcher was involved in planning, fundraising, event communication, making posters, and moderating the artist talk after the performance (see Image 1). The Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/em> performance was produced by Johan Sara Jr and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa, and the exhibition was produced by Johan Sara Jr. The artistic data involved video and photodocumentation by the manager-curator-researcher upon agreement with the performing S\u00e1mi artists Johan Sara Jr. and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"In
Artist talk with Johan Sara Jr and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa. Moderator: Marija Griniuk. Bod\u00f8 city museum. Magnus Sivertsen S\u00f8rvik<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The question addressed was, \u201cHow is the concept of Maadtoe seen in the Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/em> performance by Johan Sara Jr and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa at Bod\u00f8 City Museum?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The venue for the performance: Bod\u00f8 City Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nordlandsmuseet, and specifically, Bod\u00f8 City Museum in the South Department of Nordlandsmuseet Museum, focuses on the dissemination of S\u00e1mi culture and heritage, due to the location of Bod\u00f8 on traditional S\u00e1mi lands. Thus, the museum\u2019s program is built around events relevant to the S\u00e1mi culture, for example, the yearly S\u00e1mi language and culture weeks and S\u00e1mi National Day, on which special events and exhibitions take place. The yearly exhibition program accommodates special themes of S\u00e1mi culture from art and ethnography perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performance: Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/em> by Johan Sara Jr, containing a musical instrument and paintings took the form of a pop-up exhibition at Bod\u00f8 City Museum\u2019s conference room during S\u00e1mi Language Week. The culmination of the project was a performance that took place on the last day of the exhibition, in collaboration with S\u00e1mi choreographer Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johan Sara Jr offered the following quote about the performance and exhibition: \u201cSea S\u00e1mi, See <\/em>is based on the life and mindset of the Coastal S\u00e1mi people. It was natural, as I was born and raised by the sea in Alta and on Stjern\u00f8ya, where our reindeer grazed during summer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The performance contains sequences where sound and choreography connect. The first part of the performance contains only the sounds created by Johan Sara Jr by touching different objects from the coastline assembled in one musical instrument. The choreographer joins in, wearing the duodji work by Anna-Stina Svakko, first connecting the movements to the reindeer skin placed on the floor after extending the body to the white-coloured reindeer skull (Image 2). The sequences continue as the objects are introduced through the movement in the area outlined by the four duodji items interconnected with a lasso, the object traditionally used in reindeer herding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"In
Sea S\u00e1mi<\/em>, See performance by Johan Sara Jr and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa. Katarina is wearing duodji by Anna-Stina Svakko. Marija Griniuk<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the introduction to the project, Johan Sara Jr says, \u201cEverything relates to the sea, the coast, fishing, reindeer herding, and integrated farming. Knowing that my ancestors lived here in Alta for hundreds of years generates identity, pride, and a drive to carry on traditions, culture, and hopes for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maadtoe in Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The performance consists of two elements: frontstage, which is visible to the audience, and backstage, which encompasses the processes involved in implementing the performance (Schechner 1977). Both artists have an ancestral connection to the Sea S\u00e1mi area, which is in the Northern S\u00e1mi area, today Finnmark County in Norway. The project Sea S\u00e1mi, See<\/em> is a longitudinal journey, where Maadtoe manifested in on-site work by the artists while creating a performance and videoperformance. The coastal area of Porsangerfjorden was chosen as the location for the videoperformance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The embodiment of connection with nature, the fj\u00f8rd, and the harsh weather conditions are reflected in Katarina\u2019s, as the choreographer\u2019s costume in the videoperformance. This costume was partly created from wool, protects the body, and appears against the background of the sea and rocks in the video shown during the videoperformance. Through Maadtoe, as connecting to nature in a mutually respectful way, the performance, performer, costume, and nature become one narrative, and the action of dancing in this location is claiming the identity and manifesting the Sea S\u00e1mi culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, for Johan, gathering materials by the coastline, whether it is sound recordings or hard duodji materials (which later become the musical instruments in the performance), is a form of connectedness to the landscape of his ancestors. Notably, the first performative gesture in the performance is applying the rock, recognisable from the videoperformance, to create the sound. The performance in the museum\u2019s venue starts by echoing nature. The listeners and viewers are taken outdoors by the sound, objects, and movements created by the sea as a reflection of the artists\u2019 ancestral narrative of the ways of life in the Sea S\u00e1mi culture. The artists use natural materials for their performance. Similarly, their ancestors used the sea and coastline as a respectful source for duodji and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Sea S\u00e1mi, Sea<\/em> performance, developed as a longitudinal project and shown at Bod\u00f8 City Museum, addresses the concept of Maadtoe as a reconnection of artists Johan Sara Jr and Katarina Sk\u00e5r Lisa to their ancestral lands and heritage. The videoperformance created by the coastline focuses on connecting the body, sounds, and land. By activating both the coastal environment and the museum space as stages, the artists move fluidly between personal heritage and collective cultural expression. Their actions transform natural materials, sounds, and movement into carriers of Sea S\u00e1mi identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acknowledgement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The performance and artist talk were a part of the educational program supported by Nordlands Fylkeskommune and Bildende Kunstneres Hjelpefond (BKH). Marija Griniuk received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No S-PD-24-49, for this research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Guttorm, G. 2012. \u201cDuodji: A new step for art education.\u201d International Journal of Art & Design Education<\/em> 31(2): 180\u2013190.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guttorm, G. 2015. \u201cContemporary Duodji \u2013 A personal experience in understanding traditions.\u201d Relate North: Art, Heritage and Identity<\/em>, 60\u201377.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chilton, G., and P. Leavy. 2014. \u201cArts-based research practice: Merging social research and the creative arts.\u201d In The Oxford handbook of qualitative research<\/em>, 403\u2013422.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schechner, R. 1977. Essays on performance theory, 1970\u20131976<\/em>. Drama. Book Specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Te Hira, Jasmine, Zoe Black, and Carola Grahn. 2022. \u201cEmbodied knowledge: Exploring the influence of Whakapapa and Maadtoe jah Maahtoe.\u201d Vessel Magazine<\/em> 3. vessel-magazine.no\/issues\/3\/embodiedknowledge\/editorial-third-issue<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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