TO WALK IN MY SHOES

QUESTION: How is it to walk in your shoes? 

At the moment its very confusing, because a lot of the things I do bring out reactions both from Norwegians, people abroad and the Sami people. It has been really emotional and unexpected for me to see how many different reactions my art can bring out in people. Sometimes its very confusing for me to choose a path, because there are so many directions to go, so many opinions to listen to and so many rules and relagualtions to follow. 

Right now I feel like I have to be on guard of what I say and do so I don't offend anybody, but at the same time I am 

working on coming back to my own heart and roots. I am looking for what feels right inside and not letting the outside world affect me too much and to trust my instinct and inner guideance. 

TALKING ABOUT SAMI PEOPLE

Often I get questions about the sami people and sometimes it´s difficult to give an easy answer. It can be difficult to generalize Samis, and to give one straight answer, because there are a lot of opinions, judgements, and expectations about the sami people. Both from us Sami ourselves and from others.

But the most obvious reason is that the Sami culture is NOT ONE thing, it´s not ONE culture, ONE tradition, ONE language and way of joiking, dressing, being, and way of living. It´s actually many things. And it´s many ways of living.

There are 10 different Sami languages, some say less some say more. Every district has their own clothing, cultural traditions, joiking styles, and living conditions. Some a fishers, some farmers, some reindeerhearders. 

So if you ask me about Sami culture, it can be a very big questions, and most of the times I am not prepared to answer on behalf of all the Sami people, because we don´t always agree with each other, we have different opinions about things, different values and traditions.

But of course I can always answer the questions on behalf of myself as a Sami, and what feels right for me. Other Samis might have other opinions, and might disagree with me, so my truth does´t necessarily apply to all Sami people. 



Do you feel like you are representing a whole culture, and you feel you are talking on behalf of alot of people when you speak? How do you handle and relate to this?

IS IT OK FOR A NON-SAMI PERSON TO JOIK?

Is it ok for Espen Wensaas to joik?

When I did a lifestream on Instagram where I answered some questions about joiking I actually realized a few things about the use of joiking amongst non-samis.

I am realizing that a lot of non-sami people are actually using the joik as it is meant to be used.

But first; It is possible for everybody to joik. Physically it is possible for everybody to learn it. There are no physical restrictions to it.

If you are not Sami, and you want to learn joiking, I invite you to first ask yourself: Why is it that you want to joik? What is it that is missing in you that makes you want to incorporate a foreign culture into your own? Maybe its the connection to nature and the authentic ancient expression straight from the core (that is often what people who are learning about sami culture are looking for). 

Or maybe it is just for fun, to learn a new skill, to have fun with it?

The reason why you want to learn yoking will tell you if and when it is ok for you to joik.

The main thing is to always do it in respect of Sami culture.

The joik has a lot of uses and occasions and reasons to why we would joik, - and one of them is for meditation and grounding.

After experiences and conversations about the joiking and sami music I realize that joiks and sami music are often used for meditation purposes. This is fantastic, and I am really happy that people all over the world benefit from sami music this way! <3 br="" nbsp="">
If you are alone on the mountain or at your house or wherever in private- and you feel like joiking for the purpose of coming closer to nature, to yourself, to ground yourself or to enter meditative state, to honor gods, feelings and people or anything similar - I would encourage you to do so.

You are not being disrespectful to the sami gods if you do this. in contrary - I think you are honoring them - as long as the joik is coming from a respectful place in you. A joik is always the right thing to do to honor someone, so I think it is a really good idea to joik in those occasions.

But another thing is to step on stage, perform a joik, and call this a sami traditional way of joiking. If you do this, then you must be sure that you know what you are talking about, that you are respecting the sami culture, that you have done your research and history-lessons. Because the moment you go public, you might be asked questions you are not prepared to answer.

But for yourself you can do whatever you want, and as long as you have respect and good intentions with it, I encourage you to learn joiking as it is a blessing to have in life.

Have fun experimenting! 

Are you non-sami who wants to learn to joik? Why do you want to learn it? Do you think it is ok for non-Sami people to joik? What do you use joik for?

AM I A HEALER, LIKE JOHAN KAAVEN?

Photo Ann Helen Gjermundsen

Many people I meet ask me if I am related to the famous shaman Johan Kaaven. And yes, I am related to him. He is my great granduncle. The second thing they ask is if I have the same healing powers that he has, and to that there is not an easy answer.

There are relatives that have such skills as he does now still. The powers are still in the familiy. And I think I might be able to access such powers if I wanted to. People in the familiy who do have them choose not to go public about it, and work their healing powers in silence, with the faith that the people who need their help will encounter them. And they only use the powers when they are in situations it is needed, - and not like a profession.

Since I was a child I have been terrified of having such skills as the shaman has. I remember when I was a child I sincerely hoped I would never see the white reindeer, which in sami culture means you are "a chosen one". I was scared of all the responsability that comes with it, and I was scared that I wouldnt be able to enjoy my life as much when I knew things not everyone knows...

But the last 5 years this has changed. When I got ill after 35 years of perfect health and needed to go to surgery,  and I experienced that there are very few people who actually can help me when I truly need it... After this I have been thinking more and more about taking the ideas about other realms seriously.  I mean - I have always had the interest for it, and if it can do good - why not!
A few people have told me that I have a shaman spiritual guide and he is trying to talk to me, but I refuse to listen...  A few years ago I decided I would do my best to take this more serious and change my life in a direction where I actually could live a life where I am more in tune with such possibilities that connection with nature religion and spirituality can take place.

But I know I will never be shaman in a tradional way - like Johan Kaaven and other sami noaidi´s where.
I wouldnt nessacerily call myself a shaman or healer at all. But I think I can make my own magic through music and arts and try to connect with other worlds and powers in my own way.
This has been a very exciting journey for me so far, and of course the fay-realm has a big part of it.

This weekend I am playing a concert at the 100 years anniversary of Johan Kaaven´s death. They have a seminars, exhibitions and movies about him in Lakselv during the weekend. I am honored to pay him this respect and I think it was a great thing to arrange this anniversary. He deserves it! 💛

A VERY PERSONAL INTERVIEW

This week an issue of iPorsanger was published with a 6 page long interview with me.
This interview was done because of the Johan Kaaven 100 year anniversary event this summer in Lakselv. Johan Kaaven was my great granduncle and a famous shaman.

I was a bit nervous about this interview because it would be the first time I would speak about my realtionship with him, and how I feel about the shamanistic ways that he is famous for.
This interview became really personal and I talked about things I have never talked about before in interviews the same way. I have mentioned things, but not in a such personal way as this time.

The journalist Ann-Helen Gjernumdsen was the perfect woman to interview me because I felt like she understood me. She knew what I was talking about and was interested in the topic, and knew much about the topic. Then it was easier for me to talk freely, cause I knew there was a big chance she would actually understand me correctly - and not just write what she thought I meant. It was a great thing to experience this kind of juornalism, and hopefully I would be able to do more interviews like this in the future.
The pictures turned up great also! I love the background of the fjord in Porsanger and the cold weather.

You can read the interview here. It´s in Norwegian:

https://issuu.com/trykkeriservice/docs/iporsanger_1-2018 

NORWEGIANS DON`T KNOW THEIR OWN HISTORY

It´s strange how many people in Norway think about the Sami history as something that only
concerns the Sami people - and us only. 
They don´t think it´s important for them to learn anything about it. They don´t think its relevant to them,
 becuase they are not Sami…   

But why wouldn´t it? It  concerns everyone, espescially them!. 
This happened in Norway - so its a part of Norwegian history as well. 
Some people have called it “The dark part of Norwegian history” the part that hasn´t been talked about.  
And the same happened is Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Norwegian kids don´t learn about their own history in shcool, it´s actaully NOT a part of their syllabus 
- they learn about other indigneous peoples more then about the indigenous peoples in their own country.

When I talk to people from abroad they have always thought of Norway as a country that cares about 
peoples right, the environment, and are nice, open, and understanding people. 
That we are kind and have alot of understanding and compassion for all people and that we 
don´t discriminate and all is good and so on.

They are shocked to hear what has happened in Norway regarding the Sami people.

Everything sami has been forbidden! The clothes, the language, the culture, they burned the drums and 
clothing and banned joiking and the sami culture! They wanted us to become Norwegian 
-  good Norwegians.

This is called colonisation and we are not yet decolonised unfortunately.  
We just celebrated the 100 years annivarsary since the first poltical Sami meeting. 
Colonisation started long before that, it´s hard to say excatly when - but its hundreds of years ago 
- and we are still misunderstood and discriminated in many ways. Colonisation is still happening.

The first step for us to get closer to a co-exsistence is knowledge. The schools and the whole society 
has the responsability to learn about the history of Norway. What acutally happened and 
why things are like they are now. And we have the right to learn about our own culture and live it!

Many kids growing up don´t even know they are Sami, and as they become adults and do 
some genealogy to find their ancestors, they find out they are Sami, but don´t know anything 
about how to be a Sami person.

I hope for the future that all nordic children get to learn about the Sami people in shcool, 
so that they will have a understanding about our common history, so that we can at least find 
a common ground to stand on and understand each other, so we all have the opportunity 
to live how we want to live.  

Are you surprised to hear that Norwegian kids don´t learn much about Sami people?

THE RIVER THAT NEVER FREEZES

Not far from my hometown there is a small river,  a stream that comes from the mountain and runs down to form a big pound.
This river and pound don´t freeze in wintertime. Many people find this strange, because everything freezes here during the winter. Tempearatures can get down to -50 celsius and it´s cold. So why doesnt it freeze?
The legend says that uldá/gufihtar (undergound people) live under this river, and thats why it never freezes. During the spring, when all the snow melts, sometimes the water is not so good in the tap and we have to go and get water from nearby springs. This river is one of them, so the water is supposed to be extra clean and good. Magic water if you ask me!

Can you find any other good reason then that the underground people are the reason this? 😉
Hihi, not me! 😀

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEFORE AND NOW

There is no doubt there is a huge difference on the situation with the sami people now and how it was let´s say in the 70ties or 40ies.  This is a really common question I get asked all the time:

HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED FOR SAMI PEOPLE?

Sami culture is not prohibited anymore like it used to be. 
For a long time nothing Sami was tolerated. To simplyfy what happened: the government wanted us to become good Norwegian citizens, we where not allowed to be Sami. We had to change our names, burn the gákti (sami clothing) and drums, and stop joiking and talking sami. Chlidren in shcools would get punished if they where to talk sami or use sami clothes.

Colonisation happened, and it´s still going on, it has for at least 100 years - BUT....

Now we have opportunities - we had no voice before. 
Because there has been shown interest in reconciliation between the Norwegian government (I know best of the situation in Norway, but there are sami people in Sweden, Finland and Russia as well) and Sami´s the latest years this is an excellent chance for us to show the world who we are. On our terms. We don´t have to let anyone from outside the Sami culture define who we are, but we can choose for ourselves to show what our values are, our lifestyle and world view, our culture and what we have to offer to the world.
We are allowed to learn how to be good Sami people. We have the opportunity to define ourselves - let the world know who we are from our own perspective.

What would you say has changed for the Sami people? Do you have any thoughs about it?

VINTAGE GÁKTI

Wearing my mothers old gákti at Rudolstadt Festival

Last year my mother was cleaning her closet, and she had a few gákti´s (sami dress) that are to small for her. They are supercute and vintage, so it would be too bad to throw them away. No way!
They are still usable, not too worn. And the gákti has not changed much since the 70ies, so its no problem wearing it. I guess thats the great part of traditional clothing. It never goes out of fashion! 

 I hadn´t got around to sewing my own gákti, so I was very happy when my mother said I could get from her. But one of them was a bit worn, so I didn´t feel I could use it for anything else then for example kitchen work, or everyday gákti. But I don´t really wear a gákti everyday, even though it would be cool if I did..
 It´s just that the skirts are so big on them and a bit annoying and impractical to wear all the time...
 I wanted to give the gákti a new life, but I didn´t want to cut it or anything, so that´s when I came up with the idea of dying it a different colour. A excellent idea!

MAYAN SEREMONY IN OSLO

Today we went to a seremoni held by Mayan elders. They have been in Norway before - even in Karasjok, and came back now to connetct with the north.

Today is called "12 K´at" in the mayan calendar, and that is the day of the seeds. All kinds of seeds. Seed of the water, earth, trees, humans, every single smallest seed there is in the world.
It was also the day for connecting the mind-heart- and belly to create harmony in the feelings.


It was so interesting to see how Mayans do their ancient rituals and listen to them talk in the old K´iche language. I am not going to explain everything that happened - cause I cannot...
At the end of the seremony - Kjetil and I drummed a bit and we joiked.

But for me the things that came into my understanding is how important it is to give and take. - To let the energies flow through you. Don´t let them stagnate in your body. Let go. Both good and bad in flow - let them flow through you. When you receive  something - let it go through you and then let it go. Let it go back to earth for example.

First we got healing from our forefathers to a place in the body where we need it (of our own choosing) - and then after we had received this healing we gave it back to the water. We gave the healing energy to all the water on earth. We don´t want it to dry out - cause we need it. 

If you ever have the chance I would recommend going to a Mayan Fire Seremony. It was a really strong and profound experience  - if you let if be so, of course!

I hope to see them again - cause I don´t have the opportunity to go to their main seremony in Oslo the 22th of september.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Christmas Eve. This is the most peaceful day of the year that I know of. There is no other day of the year that feels quite like this day. It is so peaceful and calm. It has a warm, beutiful, serene athmosphere.
The world feels totally different from all other days. It´s like the world has changed.

It makes me think of the enourmous power of thought. Could it be because everybody in the whole Norway, and Sápmi are focusing on the same thing? Having a joyous time with their families. Focus on peace, understanding and kindness?

What if people could focus more on these things in everyday life. Would we then have less wars for example? Would the world be a better place? The world feels like a better place in christmas.
(I am not speaking for all of them who suffer even more in christmas because of family or other life issues)

Maybe it´s just because everybody has taken a break. All the conflicts and stress is on hold for a while. But if that "only" could change the feeling of a whole city - and the world, then that is proof for me how much thoughts and emotions affect the world in general.

It´s the universal energy - we are all a part of one. And everyone of us affect the outcome. Change will only come if most of us agree on something - and go for it. As many of us as possible should focus on the message of peace, and we would have peace on earth. Can it be that simple?


  

MY SAFE PLACE

"Bade-jávri" as we called it.

This is a method I use for whenever I feel nervous before going on stage. It is a very well known trick for anyone who struggle with any kind of anxieties. Whenever you feel nervous or unsafe you may use this method. It has always helped me with my stage fright. In the beginning when I started perfoming I knew that I had to find some way to manage my nervousness,  and this is one of the ways I do it.

I squeeze my lucky pouch before I go onto stage. Ground myself and visualise the place in the picture of "bade-jávri" in my mind. I see myself singing and dancing on this beach to the trees, lake and mountains. And I always know that they are happy to hear me sing and see me dance.

A safe place is a place you go to in your mind where you know you have full control. There is no one who can enter without your permission. You decide who can enter and what happens in there.
When I go to my safe place I usually visualise it looking like this lake. It is in Gárdin / Ravnastua Fjellstue where my grandmother lived for 50 years.
She called Gárdin the most beutiful place on earth - and so do I. <3 br="">

ÁHKKU - MY GRANDMOTHER

Our grandmother Inga died in 2013. It is hard to explain what she meant for me. She was a person who held our family together, cause her home (Ravnastua / Gárdin) was a meeting place for the family and also tourists. She was a remarkable person. I don´t think anyone who met her could ever forget her. She always had the most memorable comments to things. My aunts had an idea to write a book about her, and it would be a great book to have!

My grandmother lived until she was 93, so she had a long life which she loved. She lived in Gárdin over 50 years of her life - and received a silveraward from the king for running this mountain house. She gave birth to 9 children, my mother included, and she was married to her cousin Julius - who unfortunately died when I was just a child. He died because of a heart failure while he was in the mountains and went to rest beside his tractor. She didnt want anyone else but him, so she lived alone for the rest of her life. 30 years approximatly she lived as a widow.   
To tell you about her is a task too big to even start, so I will stick to telling you about the song.

DID I MEET ULDA GIRL?

Picture from Pinterest.

I lived in the basement of my mother and fathers house from I was about 13 until I moved away when I was 16. I had alot of room there, and my own bathroom. It had its own front door too, and a huge room with sofa and chairs etc before entering my bedroom. I was the only one living on that floor.
This happened summertime. Summers where always a really fun time for us, cause we would just do whatever we wanted when we wanted. There is light day and night, so life is kind of eternal, or it stands still. No hinders, no beginning or end, just life. Experiences.


I was sleeping in my bed when i heard this whisper: "Eliiin Eliiiiiin." 
I thouht it was my friend Leila (who I told you about before), when she comes she could always think of some prank or funny thing to do just to make people laugh. I thought she had came to visit me. Doors where always open for everybody when I grew up. We never used to call in beforehand and check if we could come visit, we would just turn up whenever. And if they are not home - we go to someone else instead.

I looked up from my bed, but I couldn´t see anyone, so I went back to sleep.

SOUL RETRIEVAL

My brother Ove Kåven har written this blogpost. I asked if he wanted to write a post for me, cause he has become very intrested in subjects like these lately, and so have I, so its perfect!

You can read one of my personal experience with loosing pieces the soul here.

Soul Retrieval
==============

When people experience traumatic events or losses, a part of them will sometimes try to escape or dissociate from the event, in an effort to survive, or just get away from the pain. Sometimes, these parts don't come back. The result is a person that doesn't feel whole. The person might suffer from chronic depression, be unable to feel joy, feel out of touch with the rest of the world, feel like they're seeing themselves from outside of their bodies, or even be chronically or severely ill. And there may be a gap in the memories, so that the person can't remember anything about what caused the trauma. To fill the hole in their lives, they may become addicted to things like entertainment, gambling, sex, or drugs.

MY DRUM TAUGHT ME TO JOIK

I did not learn to joik in my childhood (learn about joiking here). I never thought that I would be yoiking either, I have always seen myself as a singer, and I never yoiked much, for different reasons I will tell about soon.
But a few years ago I started thinking more and more about what singing actually is, what is music, why do I really want to sing etc...?  I just got very philosofical about things and life. And I wondered about joiking as well. What is joiking anyway, and why don´t I joik?
Always when I travelled abroad people where intrested in hearing about it and hearing joiks. I started thinking that "I am sami singer, so I should joik as well!"

I had made a drum at a workshop at this shaman festival Isogaisa, and I sometimes would take it out and try it. I listened to it carefully and it felt like the drum was making the sound of the earth. It´s hard to explain, but the sound made me feel the earth more, and it connected me to it. I enjoyed drumming  - just making sound and I started hymning to it at well... I sang different songs, and just played with it.
One day I suddenly started making sounds similar to what american-indians would make. Humming in a way, and at this point I felt myself opening up. I felt that this sound came through me - it was not soemthing I created - like I do when I sing, but it was something that came to me from the earth.

WHAT IS JOIK?

Yoiking is the sami traditional way of using the voice. When I tried to find information about it to share with you, I saw that wikepedia has alot of updated info on this! Here you go:


A joik (also spelled yoik), luohti, vuolle, leu'dd, or juoiggus is a traditional Sami form of song.
Originally, joik referred to only one of several Sami singing styles, but in English the word is often used to refer to all types of traditional Sami singing.
As joik originats from the Sami culture which is not a text based culture, there are no references to how and where joik originated. In the oral tradition legend tells that it was the faires and elfs of the arctic land that gave yoiks to the Sámi People. Just Quigstad who recorded the Sami oral tradition has documented that in several works.^[1] According to music researchers, joik is one of the longest living music traditions in Europe, and is the folk music of the Sami people.^[2]
The sound of joik is comparable to the traditional chanting of some Native American cultures,^[3] but non-verbal singing as such is by no means limited to these cultures.
With the Christianization of the Sami, joiking was condemned as sinful. The Norwegianization assimilation policy and the church and ecclesiastical movement's views on joiking as sin have played important roles in the devaluation. In the 1950s, it was forbidden to use joiking in school in Sami areas, and one of the reasons that joiking was controversial may be its association with noaidi and pre-Christian mythology rituals. Meanwhile, joiking was strongly rooted in culture and tradition was maintained. Today joiking is still alive and is also used as a source of inspiration and an element in contemporary Sami music.

 

CHAGA

Innlegget er hentet fra http://isogaisa.org/hva-er-chaga.php   Skrevet av Ronald Kvernmo

Hva er chaga?

Chaga er en sopp som vokser på bjørk. Den blir tørket og malt, og av pulveret lager man te.

Chaga en hellig drikk?

Chaga fra bjørk - er fra gammelt av kjent som en hellig samisk drikk - og det er ikke uten  grunn! Mange mener at chaga regnes som den kraftigste naturlige antioksidanten som finnes, og at chaga er generelt styrkende, krefthemmende, bakterie og virushemmende. Og i tillegg har Chaga en rekke unike egenskaper. De gamle samiske sjamanene visste nok hva de drev med!

Utklipp fra Urtekildens planteleksikon:

Chaga er en sopp med en kaffelignende smak. Den har et adaptogen som virker immunregulerende, kreft/svulsthemmende, gen-beskyttende, generelt styrkende (tonikum), blodrensende, blodsukkersenkende, smertestillende, magestyrkende, leverstyrkende, betennelseshemmende, bakterie- og virushemmende. Soppen utgjør den kraftigste naturlige antioksidanten som er kjent. Av alle medisinske sopper har Chaga trolig det største mangfoldet av medisinske egenskaper.

 

STÁLLU

Photo from Wikipedia

Stállu is a creature in Sámi mytholgy. As children we used to fear Stállu, because if we did not behave it could come and take us away and even eat us.

If you think about it its much like a police officer. Who knows, maybe one day police officers will be mythological creatues as well! Haha.

I just released a christmas song about stállu. Since the Sami people did not have much of a christmas celebration before we got the christian traditions - Stállu is the most obvious thing to write about connected to Sámi christmas – but who knows, if I have time to do more research I might find something else for next christmas!

A SAMI CHRISTMAS SONG!

Photo Geir Anders Hætta Berg.

Tomorrow I will release a christmas song in Sami language. Terje Andre Tovik Wollmann has written the melody, and I have written the lyrics for the song. The song is about the sami myhtological creature "Stállu".

About a year ago I met Terje at a concert in Oslo. I had not seen him for many many years. I only knew him because he is the ex-boyfriend of a girl I used to live with in Bergen.
I told him I was an artist, and he told me had started working as a music-producer, so we just figuered why not try and do something together. We kept in touch, and I told him that I had wanted to do a christmas song for may years, but never got around to it, and he was immidiately into the idea of making a christmas song together, and so we did!

The reason why I wanted to make a christmas song is that when I was a child I remember christmas as a very positive time of the year. I used to cuddle up with my duvet in a chair in front of the telly and watch Disney - cartoons, and other programs. It was dark season, so it was constantly dark outside, so we lit candles and spent alot of time togehter with my family inside playing games, making christmas decorations, bakery and toys and gifts of course.