Enhancing Storytelling about Skábma Traditions in Early Childhood Education and Care as Part of a Sámi Decolonising Process

Abstract

In Sápmi, there are many stories and traditions tied to skábma, or the dark time of midwinter. Skábma is considered a sacred time and space. Some of the stories and traditions, which stem from Sámi Indigenous religion and are related to various invisible beings, are still passed on through oral traditions and storytelling. This article explores what it can mean for children, educators and researchers to creatively engage with lesser-known Indigenous religious traditions, stories told by older generations and current traditions, in ways that give further life to them. The research aim is twofold: the article studies both how co-research within an Indigenous context is conducted, and how educators and children in a Sámi Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centre managed activities and searched for and created new stories based on skábma traditions. The research question is: In what ways can strengthening storytelling in the ECEC setting function as a contribution to Sámi decolonisation processes? The research materials were collected through ethnographic fieldwork. The fieldwork was methodologically framed as critical utopian action research that considers the social learning of the children, educators and researchers that participated in the activities. Accordingly, this article shows how educators and children at an ECEC centre in Sápmi conducted activities to search for and create new skábma stories based on Indigenous traditions. The researchers were invited to learn about stories and traditions in which their attentiveness to the present was connected to valuing the past and taking responsibility for a sustainable future. The latter was achieved via storytelling by the educators, a duodji (Sámi craft) activity and children’s playtime. The article concludes by discussing how the search for and creation of traditions, such as sharing food with ancestors, involve decolonising processes. Abstrákta Nanusmahttit muitalusaid Skábmavieruid birra ovdaskuvllas oassin sámi dekoloniserenproseassas Sámis gávdnojit ollu muitalusat vieruid birra mat gullet skábmaáigái, dahje guovdu dálvvi sevdnjes áiggi birra. Skábma árvvoštallo bassi áigin ja báikin. Muhtin muitalusat ja vierut vulget sámi eamiálbmotoskkus ja dasa gullet oaidnemeahttun ealibat, ja dat fievrriduvvojit ain ge viidáset njálmmálaš árbevieruid ja máinnasteami bokte. Dát čálus suokkarda maid sáhttá mearkkašit mánáide, oahpaheddjiide ja dutkiide jus kreatiivvalaččat áŋgiruššet unnit dovddus eamiálbmotoskkolaš vieruide, muitalusaide maid boarráset buolvvat leat muitalan ja dála áiggi árbevieruide dakkár vugiiguin mat fievrridit daid viidásit. Dutkamuša ulbmil lea guovttesuorat: čálus suokkarda sihke movt ovttasdutkan eamiálbmogiid birra čađahuvvo, ja movt pedagogat ja mánát smávvamánáid guovddážiin fuolahedje aktivitehtaid ja ohce ja hutke ođđa muitalusaid maid vuođđu lea skábmavierru. Dutkamuša gažaldat lea: man láhkái sáhttá nanusmahttojuvvon máinnasteapmi ovdaskuvllas doaibmat reaidun sámi dekoloniserenproseassas? Dutkanmateriála lea čohkkejuvvon etnográfalaš gieddebarggu bokte. Gieddebargu lea metodalaččat hábmejuvvon kritihkalaš utopalaš akšuvdnadutkamuššan, mii gieđahalai mánáid, pedagogaid ja dutkiid sosiála oahppama, guhte oassálaste aktivitehtain. Čuovvovaččat čájeha dát čálus movt mánát ja pedagogat mánáidguovddážis jođihedje aktivitehtaid ozadettiin ja ráhkadettiin ođđa skábmamáidnasiid maid vuođđun ledje eamiálbmotárbevierut. Dutkit bovdejuvvojedje boahtit oahppat máidnasiid ja árbevieruid gos áicilvuohta dála áiggis leai goallostuvvon árvvoštallat vássánáiggi ja váldit ovddasvástádusa bistevaš boahtteáiggis. Dan maŋemusa olahedje pedagogaid muitalusain, duodjebarggu bokte ja mánáid stoahkama bokte. Čálus loahpahuvvo digaštallamiin movt árbevieruid ohcan ja hutkan, nugo juogadit borramuša máddariiguin, buktet mielddis dekoloniserenproseassa.