SNOW
SPECTRUMS + LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPES
REFLECTIONS ON FINNMARK STUDY TRIP 2014
EIMEAR TYNAN
SLICES OF KAUTOKEINO - LOCATION AND WATER ACCESSIBILITY (coast, rivers, marsh, lakes)
Svalbard
Barents Sea
Barents Sea
Norwegian Sea Kautokeino
No
lf o Gu
rw ay
fB oth
nia
130km
360km
SLICES OF KAUTOKEINO - LOCATION AND PLACE NAMES Dierbavàrri Vuovdimierovárri
Čoavjebohtosčohkat
Mierojávri
ovd age ai
Avjàšjàvri
Deallja
Jalgesčorut
Gu
ka
Hàvgajàvri
Hàvgavárri
Čunovuohppi
unojoh
nea tnu
Vuolgamašjàvri Nàrànàš
dasjoh
ka
Stuorajàvri
ka
joh
das bar
Geassàjàvri
Davit Č
Čà
Gaskavàrri Čunočearru
Bealjášvárri Muvravárri
Guovageaidnu Bàvvàljàvri
Ádjit
Suohpatluohkká Vuorašjàvri Vuorašvárri Nammajávri
Biltavealguolbba Suohpatjávri Gàlaniitu
Náibesjávri Čuonjáduottar
a hk
jo
be Sie
Geatkevárri
Rohtovárri 1km
Gárgatjávri
Joppevárri
Àdjetjàvri Geatkeskáidi
Unna Ádjihaš
Njallavárri Gárgatoaivi
Skáidi
Beahcegaš
Bealjášjávri
Jevdešjávri
Stuora Oaivvošváráš Gaskavárri
WALK TO SÀMI ALLASKUVLA/ SÀMI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAUTOKEINO/ time 09.20 am
... AND THE WALK BACK TO THE CABIN VIA MUSEUM/ time 18.30
“Being in a vast area that is silent and unlit when darkness sets in takes one out of the normal conditions of urban and inhabited environments. One can sense peacefulness under these conditions, but one can also sense the foreigness of the environment that can inbue a feeling of insecurity” Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir in Conversations with Landscape (2010)
LECTUREː THE SILENT LANGUAGE OF SNOW by Dr. Inger Marie Gaup Eira “Arctic indigenous people, like Sámi reindeer herders use their language to describe their understanding of nature and how they deal with the specific knowledge about all kinds of natural phenomena, including snow and the winter environment” (Eira et al., 2010 ; Riseth et al., 2010)
THE QUALITY OF SNOW Consistency
Hardness
Water Quality
Ceavvi
časttas
njáhcu
“Hard compact snow”
“Hard snowdrift” (smaller than skálvi)
“thaw”
Layers geardni
Processes
Thickness
borga
borhkolat
“thin crust of snow” “falling of snow”
“deep snow of varying depth”
part of table shown at Dr. Inger Marie Gaup Eira presentation
TRACKS IN THE SNOW The terminology of snow extends to the different marks that are created upon it. Knowledge of the physical condition of the snow is crucial in determining the routes reindeer take and also the availability of food. The following list contains just a few examplesː čiegar čilvi doalli láhttu suovdnji
snow field which has been trampled and dug up by reindeer feeding there ice-covered area where reindeer have been grazing in mild winter winter road or track covered by snow but still distinguishable ski track grazing hole, hole dug by reindeer in the snow in order to feed from Diversity on Saami terminology for reindeer and snow, written by Dr. Ole Henrik Magga http://www.arcticlanguages.com/papers/Magga_Reindeer_and_Snow.pdf
ARTWORK* AT SÀMI ALLASKUVLA/ SÀMI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAUTOKEINO (*images have been enhanced and colour inverted in Photoshop)
WALKING OVER THE BRIDGE IN KAUTOKEINO / stills from short video / time 13.20
Walking across the bridge over the frozen Guovdageaineatnu river revealed many different snow formations and accumulations. Different accumulations created different sounds. A short but interesting journey!
SNOW AND ICE SCULPTURES AT HOTEL THON, KAUTOKEINO/ time 22.00
BUS TRIP ː KAUTOKEINO TO ALTA ː TREES IN THE SNOW-SNOW IN THE TREES
BUS TRIP ː KAUTOKEINO TO ALTA ː PHOTOGRAPHS
ALTA MUSEUM The Rock Art shows communication between the world of the living and the worlds of the spirits, and gives insight into the cosmology of prehistoric hunters and gatherers. There is an exceptionally high number of human figures and compelling portrayals of prehistoric social life, dancing, processions, and rituals. Moreover, the Rock Art provides a unique testimony to the interaction of hunter-gatherers with the landscape. The panels show hunting, fishing and boat journeys, and are thought to represent micro-landscapes. A wide range of circumpolar fauna is depicted (reindeer, elks, bears, fish, whales, seabirds, etc.).
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/352
REFLECTIONS Prior to the study trip I read a text that became more meaningful during the trip. “A thousand Plateaus”, calls for a change in our systems, particularly western systems. “As a model for culture, the rhizome resists the organizational structure of the root-tree system which charts causality along chronological lines and looks for the original source of ‘things’ and looks towards the pinnacle or conclusion of those ‘things.’ A rhizome, on the other hand, is characterized by ‘ceaselessly established connections between semiotic chains, organizations of power, and circumstances relative to the arts, sciences, and social struggles.’ Deleuze, Gilles and Félix Guattari. 1980. A Thousand Plateaus.
hierarchy control affiliation homogeneous vulnerable
It became apparant after the trip, that a hierarchal system governs Norway which, very much comes into conflict with the way Sámi people have traditionally lived and in many ways, in which Reindeer herders live today. Different cultures interact differently to nature and this affects the status that people put on the landscape. It is, I believe, this preoccupation with tightly, controlled systems that have lead to the contested power of Finnmark today. no order networks open system constellations resilient flexible adaptable multiple exchanges