– once you place a man exhibited among animals, so give it very nasty associations. It is an uncomfortable truth in our history, ” says Kathrine Nedrejord.
Sami from Kautokeino and Karasjok, exhibited in Paris in 1879. Image from the book On the wild roads.
Photo: From the book The wild roads
Now she shares her story with the rest of Norway.
32-year-old has written theater piece “Human Zoo” for the sámi national theatre the beaivváš theater Sámi teáhter. It has its premiere at the national theatre Friday.
the Sami people and other people of nature was the drawing card in zoos, circuses, and amusement parks in european and american cities. This happened on the 1800 – and 1900 – century.
In the raseteoriens golden
About 400 samis from Norway, Sweden and Finland were picked up to act with his daily life for millions of curious visitors. The sami had their reindeer and their lavvus.
Whole families were exhibited. This happened during the raseteorienes heyday. One showed off the alien peoples who they saw as primitive.
Relatives of Kathrine, who was from Karasjok, was on display at the zoo in Budapest a cold winter for 106 years ago.
After several months of travel, his family was fostering in Hungary. The family was tricked and did not get paid anything.
Swipe to see images of the exhibits, where the sami people participated: To the left of the elephant, a group of sámi on display at the Hagenbecks zoo in Hamburg in 1910, together with other people of nature. Image from The book would vegerPlakat from the exhibition of sami people in Hagenbecks zoo in Hamburg, 1910. Image from The book would vegerFra exhibition in Paris 1889. Image from The book would vegerSamer and the public in Germany (probably Berlin) in 1926. Image from The book would vegerSamer from Kautokeino and Karasjok, exhibited in Paris in 1879. Image from the book On the wild roads. Didn’t feel like the victim
Ethnologist Cathrine Baglo at the University of Tromsø has conducted research on the sami people who participated in the shows.
She tells us that it basically is a terrible history, but has also got many surprises.
It has been easy to think of them as victims, but it was not like most of the participants experienced it, ” says the researcher.
WAS SURPRISED: Ethnologist Cathrine Baglo at the University of Tromsø says that most conflict is not felt as a sacrifice, even if the frames of the exhibits are terrible.
Photo: June Åsheim / TMU
According to Baglo helped the exhibition to create pride about their own culture in a difficult time. Many were deprived through reindeer grazing areas. For a reindeer-herding was the exhibits a way to make money.
Baglo many believe sami had good reason to join.
Listen Cathrine Baglo in Close On the podcast.
– For some were the exhibits also an opportunity to maintain their culture and show how they lived. They were proud to show themselves up.
From the plateau to the zoos
Friday gets while his wife was away to take part in the story.
the Play is about a family’s journey from the open plains to the walled areas such as zoos.
the HUMAN ZOO: Teaterforestillingen the Human Zoo tells the story of when live the sami people were exhibited.
Photo: Per Heimly/Beaivvaš
– It means a lot to know that those who were exhibited, not necessarily felt debased, ” says Nedrejord.
Scriptwriter believes it has been important to give a nuanced picture of this phenomenon.
– Who are very much of sami history, so this is not a part of the Norwegian consciousness. What I wanted to do something with, ” says Kathrine Nedrejord.
Rolf Degerlund, the director of the theater at the Beaivvaš, looking forward to the premiere.
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY: Rolf Degerlund who is the director of the theater at the sami national theatre Beaivvaš will expand knowledge about sami history.
Photo: Aslak Mikal Mienna / the beaivváš theater
– It is important that we get to act even on large scenes outside the sami core area, ” says Degerlund.
