Sápmi, January 2020

Despite being hella nervous, facilitating the workshop in Inari and being able to work alongside the Sámi rangatahi to tell their story, with our tools yet through THEIR lens, was an Indigenous collaboration I didn’t realise I needed. Working alongside Inga and Sara was incredibly fun, learning about their experiences, seeing them dress in their gákti and watching their story playing out behind the camera lens only makes me wish we had the opportunity to create more films alongside the rangatahi there! Being able to sneak a glimpse in to te ao Sámi really put into perspective not only how great the Indigenous cultures are but also how similar we are #sámi time&maoritime. We also learned of the Sámi culture and kaupapa they have started up such as a Sámi youth magazine or how they keep their homes warm inspired me to start thinking of similar kaupapa we could do here in Aotearoa. 

Looking back on this trip I can say that it was peaceful standing on Sámpi. Breathing the cold air, letting the whenua mould my body and feeling the snow ache my hands with its coldness was a very grounding and exhilarating experience. It allowed me to think deeply about myself and helped bring about realisations which motivates me to seek improvement within my skills. Better yet, the most memorable moment of this trip was how big the hearts of the Sámi people were. When we went snowmobiling I was always asked if I was okay and warm, Lisa doubled up the reindeer skin for myself, Anna lajla made sure we all had wool scarves and even gave her socks up to make my feet warm. We also gained the opportunity to try their traditional reindeer soup and I have been craving Anne Lajla aunts soup ever since we left. Despite being shrouded in cold, being amongst the Sámi people truly made this experience warm which is something I’ll forever hold with me.