The Sami Archive turns 25 years old in 2020. The Swedish National Archives and the Sami Archive will mark the occasion by introducing free digitization of Sami cultural heritage.
As a gift to the Sami people on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Sami Archives, the Swedish National Archives is offering free digitization of all archives held by Sami museums and cultural institutions.
- This is a historic boost for Sámi cultural heritage. "I am very pleased to be able to offer free digitization of irreplaceable sources of Sámi history. The written traces of Sámi culture are few, and it is all the more important to take good care of those that exist," says the National Archivist. Inga Bolstad.
- The Sámi Archive preserves Sámi history and culture in the form of documents, letters, protocols, photos, films and sound recordings. This is very important work. The Swedish National Archives will digitize Sami cultural heritage and make it available in the Digital Archive. The documents will then be better known. It's a good measure that fits in with the government's push for diversity," says the Minister of Culture and Equality. Abid Q. Raja in a video greeting to the Sami Archive on the occasion of the anniversary.
The digitization offer is being introduced permanently. Bolstad is hoping for a large demand already from next year. The Swedish National Archives has a plan for how the archives will be digitized:
- The cultural institutions send the material to the Sami Archive, which digitizes and publishes the content on Digitalarkivet. After the archives have been digitized, the originals are returned to the original institution, where they will continue to be stored," explains Bolstad.
When the archives are digitized and posted on the Digital Archive, they are preserved for posterity. It also makes them accessible to everyone, without having to visit the archive to view the material.
Acting manager at the Sami Archive, Stian Norli, says that the Swedish National Archives will now enter into a dialog with the Sami cultural institutions.
- "We will use the coming year to gain more knowledge about scope and volume, and how we can organize this work in a planned and predictable manner in the years to come. We're keen to find good solutions together with the Sami cultural institutions," says Norli.
The offer is part of the Swedish National Archives' focus on the Sami archive, which is also strengthened with expanded staff.
About Sami archive:
The Sami Archive in Kautokeino is part of the National Archives, and for 25 years has had the national responsibility for preserving Sami documentation. It holds the archives of politicians, researchers, Sami institutions, associations, reindeer grazing districts and companies such as Beaivvaš, Gáldu and Sámediggi.
