Paper short abstract:

The paper examines how Márkomeannu2018 festival prompted a discussion about what the future may hold by hinging upon a narrative about the future grounded in Sámi history, shaped by contemporary concerns and articulated through Indigenous speculative fiction, site-specific art, participatory theatre

Paper long abstract:

In 2018, Sámi of all ages gathered at Gállogieddi (Norwegian Sápmi) to attend the 19th edition of the MárkaSámi festival Márkomeannu. Unlike previous editions, Markomeannu2018 revolved around a highly articulated festival concept. The plotline, set in a time yet to come, is an example of Indigenous speculative fiction implemented through site-specific art and a 3-days collective theatre performance: Sáŋgarat máhccet.

Upon entering the festival premises, festivalgoers were ideally projected 100 years from now. In 2118 – at the threshold of our immediate progeny’s lifetime – a near-apocalyptic scenario unfolds. Power struggles, nuclear warfare, colonial greed and anthropogenic disasters have plunged humanity into darkness, engulfing future generations in social oppression and ecological collapse. In this dystopic future, hidden from the controlling power of the Evil chancellor Ola Tjudi, only Gállogieddi stands as a micro-eutopia where Sámi people can live according to indigenous principles. The public was invited to play the role of future Sámi peoples, and hence to experience the future (as delineated in the plot) first-hand.

This contribution, based on interviews with Sámi cultural activists and on extended ethnographic fieldwork, examines Márkomeannu2118 narratives of the future by investigating the ideological reasons that led the festival organizers to choose such a daunting and challenging topic for the 2018 edition of Márkomeannu festival. The paper examines the multiple layers of meaning embedded in the festival-plot. It addresses how the plot’s core elements are deeply rooted in Sámi history(ies) while also hinting at what may happen if climate mitigation policies fail to succeed.