Ragnhild

South Saami Language Practice for Åarjelsaemien gïele

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

I think this might be a terrible thought to have but sometimes I wished I looked more like my ethnicity. I am white and American passing and I know that this has given me privilege. But I wish I looked more like my elders and the people that live in my community. To me that is the beauty standard. Colonization took my language, homeland, clothes, and the face of my ancestors away from me.

[deadbeatmaker]

happy pride month from sápmi! ❤️💚💛💙 I want to show you the sámi pride flag, it’s a rainbow version of the sámi flag (bottom left picture) and I think it’s really beautiful

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

There are so many things to be proud of as a queer indigenous woman. I am so proud of the queer and native communities all over the world as they work on progressing rights in every area of living. There is nothing that makes me look forward to the future more they queer, indigenous, and bipoc joy.

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

Are there any south saami out there that have advice for putting in a Baarkaldahke by yourself? I have two that I made but right now they are just labor intensive decorations.

🇸🇪- Finns det några sydsamer där ute som kan lära mig hur man sätter i en Baarkaldahke ensam? Jag har två som jag har gjort men just nu är de bara arbetsintensiva dekorationer.

Åarjelsaemiengïele- Lih gus leah aktege åarjelsaemien almetjh mij lea raerieh baarkaldahkem åalone bïejedh? Manne lea göökte baarkaldahkh mah manne dorjeme, men daelie dah leah jïjnjh barkoeh vaeniehtimmieh.

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

Does anyone else wish more people outside of europe knew about the Saami? I feel like whenever I talk about the fact that I am both indigenous and white passing people get weird. They raise eyebrows because indigenous people aren’t at all white according to them. I’ve had people google Saami in front of me to see if it was real.

I am then not included in conversations about being indigenous because people aren’t educated on the Saami. I know this isn’t the end of the world but it makes finding a community really fucking hard. I want to share my experiences and talk about reconnecting and colonization but people don’t take me seriously.

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

Buerie Biejjie

Mov nomme lea Ragnhild. Manne leam lïeredh Åarjelsaemiengïele. Jus man ektiedidh man luvhtedh aatskedidh. Doete man pryövedh bööremes.

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

My name is Ragnhild. I am learning south saami. If I want to reconnect I have to learn the language. I am trying my best.

I have had a long hard experience connecting with being south saami. Everyone in my family tried to hide it and refused to speak of it. It was a fight up hill to find this out about myself and then to start researching.

Being part of the diaspora the onus to connect with the culture is on me. I want to honor my ancestors and what they did to bring my family to a safer country for them. That being said it was not a real choice if they wanted to survive, they had to leave their culture if they wanted to stay alive. I want to honor them by taking advantage of the fact that I am free to connect with that heritage.

I can safely live connected to the old ways of living without fear of persecution. This blog is howI want to do it. I want to connect with the language so when speaking of indigeneity I am not speaking in the colonizers tongue. I want to connect with the elders without having to go through a language forced upon us. Call me the woker ig.

[beapmoe-rohkeles]

Buerie Biejjie

Mov nomme lea Ragnhild. Manne leam lïeredh Åarjelsaemiengïele. Jus man ektiedidh man luvhtedh aatskedidh. Doete man pryövedh bööremes.