Luohtevuorkkás – Digital releases from the yoik archives

In 1949 Tromsø museum started a collection of northern Norwegian folk music and Sámi joiks by Arnt Bakke. He recorded joikers in different places in Sápmi until 1972, and this collection of older joik constitutes a valuable part of the Northern Norwegian folk music collection at UiT -  The Norwegian Arctic University Museum. The DigiJoik project funded by the Arts Council of Norway pilots the release of parts of the collection as albums. Together with joik collected until 2019, the collection has exceeded over 10 000 unique recordings.

The Norwegian Arctic University Museum works through the project DigiJoik (supported by the Arts Council of Norway) to find methods for publishing and listening to older joiks recorded in the period between 1949 and 1972 from the university archives for the general public. It is especially important to make joik available for the local communities where they were recorded and collected, and in a way that meet both older and new generations. The joik collection is a part of the Northern Norwegian Folk Music collection which was established at the Tromsø Museum by lector Arnt Bakke in 1949. The purpose of the collection was to document and preserve northern Norwegian folk music and Sámi joik traditions. The documentation was conducted either through field recordings or by inviting joikers to the museum in Tromsø where they were recorded on tapes which became part of the folk music collection. The collection holds historical value as documentation of what was seen as a dying culture by ethnologists and lappologists.

To make public the content and context of joiks that were previously known only to limited groups of people can foster new knowledge and create discussions about relatives, history, and other conditions. Thus the museum alters the purpose of the collection from preservation of a dying culture to actively contributing to its continued existence as a living tradition. We place great emphasis on dialogue and cooperation with local communities and rights holders of the joiks (joikers, those who are being joiked, and their descendants). Do not hesitate to get in touch with the university museum if you have questions or information about the collection.

Contact: postmottak@umak.uit.no

Phone: +47 77645001

“We alter the purpose of the museum collection from preservation of a dying culture to inviting in new Sámi generations to take part in joik traditions and continue their own cultural heritage. “ Camilla Brattland, associate professor, Norwegian Arctic University Museum (UiT).