The local political economy of languages in a Sámi tourism destination: Authenticity and mobility in the labelling of souvenirs1

Abstract

In this article we use ethnographic and discourse analytic approaches to examine how the labelling of tourist souvenirs affects, and is in turn affected by, the local political economy of language of a tourist destination, which is also a minority language space. We begin by arguing for the importance of our particular focus of study, souvenir labels, in the process of global and local tourism, and consequently as evidence of the interplay of languages, politics and economics. We then consider the distinctive features of the local political economy of language in our particular case study, the multilingual Sámi village of Inari in Northern Finland. In a related discussion, we describe how Inari functions as a site of experiential cultural tourism, and how the purchase of souvenirs is part of the tourist experience. We then go on to describe a number of practices that we have observed in the choice and use of linguistic and visual resources for the labelling of souvenirs in Inari, the delicate balancing act that takes place in these practices between authenticity and mobility, and how this reflects and is reflected in the local political economy of language.

Ethnic boundaries and boundary-making in handicrafts: examples from northern Norway, Sweden and Finland

“…In contrast, representations of more complexity, such as local differences among Sámi or Kven and Torne valley origins, do not seem to be visible or to matter as much to the tourist. This may result in dynamics where other locals also work with -what can be interpreted as -Sámi symbols (Pietikäinen and Kelly-Holmes 2011) or where Sámi handicrafts become imitated, manufactured in faraway locations and then re-enter the local market (Cohen and Cohen 2012). As elaborated by Åhrén (2010) for the case of Sámi, such practices could violate laws concerning property rights and self-determination, as they might harm cultural identity.…”

“…In northern Sweden, Norway and Finland, tourism constitutes an important part of the regional economy (Müller and Pettersson 2001;Pietikäinen and Kelly-Holmes 2011). In particular, tourism and handicrafts are seen as vital supplementary revenue for Sámi who continue to practise more traditional occupations, such as traditional reindeer herding, fishing, etc., or who currently practise these activities only to some extent (Müller and Pettersson 2001;Scheffy 2004;Dana and Remes 2005;Viken 2006;Leu and Müller 2016;Niskala and Ridanpää 2016).…”

“…In order to protect Sámi handicrafts and culture, the Sámi handicraft association Sámi Duodji grants Sámi crafters a specific certification (see also : Müller and Pettersson 2001;Dlaske 2014). The Duodji label stands for the Sámi origin of the crafter as well as traditional form, material and method (Pietikäinen and Kelly-Holmes 2011;Dlaske 2014). Sámi crafters need to enter the association and purchase the label for their handicrafts.…”

5. Linguistic fetish: The sociolinguistics of visual multilingualism

“…what is actually being said), but in terms of pointing out what language it actually is, like the heading or title for an illustration (cf. Pietikäinen and Kelly-Holmes 2011).…”

Autochthonous heritage languages and social media: writing and bilingual practices in Low German on Facebook

“…Maintenance efforts to create spaces and communicative domains for AHLs have been dominated until fairly recently by activists -individuals or organizationsappealing to governments and institutions to grant legislation and language rights to preserve and expand the reach of AHLs, for example via media presence or education (see, e.g., Pietikäinen and Kelly-Holmes 2011). A direct connection between media presence of AHLs and language maintenance, however, is difficult to establish (see, e.g., Cormack 2007;Fishman 1991;Moring 2013).…”