Indigenising Nordic Feminism—A Sámi Decolonial Critique

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter discusses how to make space for Sámi feminist perspectives within both Sámi research and Nordic feminist research. The author explores how both patriarchal and colonial power continue to shape the lives of Sámi women, and argues that there is a need for a feminist decolonial critique that destabilises the taken-for-granted silencing of Sámi women’s perspectives in both Sámi research and Nordic feminist research. In order to do so, we need to move beyond the traditional ways of defining feminist perspectives, and include Indigenous perspectives on land, water, health, rights and identities, and through this highlight how it is possible to create a common ground for both Sámi and feminist perspectives. The relative lack of Sámi feminist perspectives is paradoxical, given the fact that both intersectional and postcolonial perspectives have made an impact on feminist research today, and contemporary Sámi women are increasingly educated and hold a strong position within academia, activism and the Sámi society as a whole.