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This year’s pride included a performance on River Teno - the river banks filled with the sound of yoik when performers and activists moved down the river. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
The pride flag flowing in River Teno shore. The weather rose over +20 degrees during Saturday’s festivities. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
Transgender and nonbinary rights were an important part of the discussions during Sápmi Pride 2021. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
This Trans pride Sápmi flag was crafted in the parade plaques workshop.This flag was created in the parade plaques workshop. It brings together the Sámi flag, the pride flag as well as the trans pride flag. This represents the diversity of the LQBTQIA+ community. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
A small village was set up on the field previously in a Lávvu pitching workshop. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
The Sápmi Pride march was filled with pride slogans calling for ráhkisvuohta (love) and trans rights for Sápmi. Some marchers broke out in impromptu yoik as well. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
Sápmi Pride 2021 had a good show up, even though many Norwegians could not cross the border to attend. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen
Festival-goers enjoying panel discussion. This year’s panel discussions were held over gender neutral language use in Sámi languages and the issues non-binary Sámi people face when deciding how to wear their Sámi attire which is traditionally heavily gendered. Photo: Saara-Maria Salonen

Sápmi Pride on closed border

Saara-Maria Salonen

Sápmi Pride has been organised since 2014, and after being postponed for the year 2020, activists and allies were happy to get together in Utsjoki. Sápmi Pride 2021 took place over four days, from the 5th to the 8th August, and held a variety of workshops and, of course, the long anticipated pride march.

Despite the Norwegian government’s decision to restrict travel between Norway and Finland, the festival had a good turn up and enthusiastic attendees. Live streams of the event allowed anyone to take part, even if they could not come to the physical event.

This year’s themes centred around the queer experience in Sápmi and the challenges and opportunities that non-binary people face in the community. For example, the panel discussion on Saturday centred around gendered language used in Sámi languages and how to move towards more gender-neutral vocabulary. In addition, the panelists discussed the use of gákti (Northern Sámi word for the Sámi attire) when a person does not necessarily identify with the traditional gender norms.

The march started from Utsjoki school and moved to a field on the banks of River Teno - attendees were shouting slogans and yoiking the whole way before settling down to listen to panel discussions.

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