Ballad of the Laablaaqs: the relational worlds of Sámi reindeer herders in Alaska

Abstract

The recruitment of Sami reindeer herders from North Sapmi to Alaska by the United States government, starting in 1894, opened a new transnational space between Fennoscandia and North America. Known for their deep Indigenous knowledge of reindeer herding, Sami experts were hired to pass on their art to Alaska Native apprentices and facilitate the expansion of reindeer herding in Alaska at the turn of the 20th century. The legacies of their involvement, which lasted until 1937, include family lines that unite people in Sapmi and North America, unique artistic expressions, broad circulation of visual culture, and multifaceted interest in Alaskan Sami ethnohistory both in North America and in Sapmi. However, the nature of the various contributions made by the Sami diaspora in Alaska is not well understood. To shed new light on the role played by Sami reindeer herders in Alaska and its far-reaching impact, this research utilizes a multi-method approach that combines critical analysis of archival sources and collections from North America and Sapmi, cross-examination of oral history sources from Alaska and Sapmi, ethnographic fieldwork in Northwest Alaska (Unalakleet, Shishmaref, Bethel) and Norwegian Sapmi (Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino), and photo-elicitation fieldwork in Guovdageaidnu. Through these methods, I offer a comprehensive exploration of the Sami participation in the Alaska Reindeer Service— a profoundly cosmopolitan endeavor—as captured in the reporting of government agents and in the words and memories of Sami herders themselves (and their descendants). The use of archival photographs as a tool for photo elicitation has been instrumental in augmenting the existing data and enhancing the documentation of Sami perspectives. Focusing on Sami perspectives reveals a relational world in which ecological, cultural, and political forces intersect in many different ways and many different places. My analysis of the written bureaucracy of the Reindeer Service highlights shifting views of reindeer herding within governing bodies, and the role government agents played in eroding the influence of Sami herders in Alaska. In contrast, oral history sources tell a story of resiliency and adaptation. The Sami diaspora in Alaska, and reindeer herders in particular, changed and thrived through sustained contact with Alaska Native communities and cultures. In the end, however, new legislation passed in 1937 made it impossible for Sámi herders to keep doing what they did best—caring for reindeer. Some moved out of Alaska, some stayed, and some went back ‘home’ to Sapmi. Following these trajectories, and through collaboration with various Sami institutions as well as knowledge bearers in Guovdageaidnu, this dissertation ends with an investigation of the transnational connections built among descendant communities in North America and Sapmi. My findings contribute to anthropological discussions of circumpolar reindeer herding (past and present), Sami ethnohistory, multicultural encounters, imagined communities, as well as to ongoing conversations within the field of Indigenous studies, particularly regarding northern Indigenous diasporas and the incorporation of visual materials as part of a decolonizing research agenda.