Viking Magazine - Jan/Feb 2024 - 10

Q&A:
Barbara Sjoholm
Bringing the Sámi to Light
Author and translator Barbara Sjoholm on uncovering and uplifting
the undertold stories of Scandinavia's Indigenous people
BY EMMA ENEBAK
IN THE OPENING OF HER 2006 BOOK, " The Palace of the Snow
Queen, " author and translator Barbara Sjoholm describes the " blue
hour " in northern Scandinavia: " when the slate-colored snow looks
colder than white. " Well above the Arctic Circle at the start of
winter 2001, Sjoholm's four-month journey through the North was
in part provoked by her Norwegian friend Ranghild Nilstun's insistence
that " what's more fascinating about the North
is not the light, but the dark, " or the blue light that
prevails in the absence of the sun.
This journey into the blue light was also fueled by
Sjoholm's desire to learn more about the Sámi, the
Indigenous people to the territory known as Sápmi,
presently comprised of northern parts of Norway,
Sweden, Finland and Russia. An American of Swedish
and Norwegian heritage, Sjoholm is not herself of
Sámi descent, but there was something about these
people and their way of life that captivated her.
During this winter trip through Scandinavia, which
Sjoholm took two more of within a period of four years,
she began to uncover more about the fascinating,
yet relatively suppressed culture of the Sámi. Soon,
Sjoholm found that " this was a way she could be
useful, " merging her writing and translating talents
to bring their stories to light.
Sjoholm has since published multiple works focused
on the history, customs and language of the Sámi,
including " By the Fire, " a 2019 translation of Sámi
folktales and legends, and " From Lapland to Sápmi, " a 2023 examination
of Sámi material culture. She has returned to Scandinavia
almost every year for the past 20 years, to experience the rare
beauty of these blue winters, and continue learning, growing and
connecting with the culture she has come to respect so deeply.
We caught up with Sjoholm to learn more about her travels, her
work as a writer and translator and her dedication to bringing more
visibility to the Sámi culture and way of life.
Can you briefl y describe your background as an author and
a translator? How did you get into this line of work, and how
did you discover your focus area in Sámi culture?
Briefl y, eh? I have Swedish heritage. My grandmother was Swedish,
and she emigrated to Illinois. I have a little bit of Norwegian and
Celebrate Sámi
National Day
Join the celebratory spirit of Sámi
National Day on Feb. 6. The historic
day marks the very fi rst meeting of
the Sámi Congress in Trondheim,
Norway, in 1917. Towns often celebrate
by raising the offi cial Sámi fl ag, a
bright rendering of red, green, yellow
and blue, containing two half circles
which represent the sun and the
moon. Commemorate the day by
reading from one of Barbara Sjoholm's
books-a great way to educate
yourself on the rich culture of this
Indigenous group, which is still
thriving all across the world today.
lots of Irish. I had not really grown up knowing
much about my heritage, but when I was 21, a
friend of mine got a job in Norway as a maid for
a wealthy family in Oslo. She wrote me a lot of
lyrical letters about how beautiful Norway was
and said if I would come over, I could probably
get a job, too.
So, I did, I went up to the mountains, Jotunheimen,
and worked that summer in a souvenir
shop at a hotel. I started learning Norwegian as
soon as I got to Norway. I never really studied it
properly, I just started talking and reading. The
following summer, I got a job as a dishwasher on
the Hurtigruten (Norwegian coastal express),
10
Jan/Feb 2024
sonsofnorway.com
ILLUSTRATION ADOBE/YUL
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - Jan/Feb 2024

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