On April 15th, the exhibition ”Arctic Highways — Unbounded Indigenous People” opens with several programme points. At 1:00 PM, Greenlandic dancer Elisabeth Heilmann Blind will perform ”UaaJeerneq – the Greenlandic mask dance”, the oldest dramatic expression among the Inuit in Greenland. At 2:00 PM, the 2022 documentary film ”Historjá – Stitches For Sápmi”, directed by Thomas Jackson, will be shown, depicting artist Britta Marakatt-Labba's struggle for her culture against the threats of climate change. Following the screening, Lars-Henrik Blind will perform a joik. At 3:30 PM, the event will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Britta Marakatt-Labba, Thomas Jackson, and Elisabeth Heilmann Blind.
’Uaajeerneq’ – the Greenlandic mask dance has existed for 3,000 to 4,000 years. Initially, the mask dance was mainly used for fertility rituals, but over time it merged with shamanistic seances and was a welcome interlude during the dark winter months. In the mask dance, the self is eliminated by the dancer changing and deforming their face and body to blur the lines between human, animal, and gender. The performance begins with Heilmann Blind transforming into a mask dancer in front of the audience while she talks about the history of the tradition.
For decades, artist Britta Marakatt-Labba has depicted indigenous Sami mythology, their relationship with nature, and political struggles. Her work Historjá, a 24-metre-long embroidery, portrays scenes from Sami history. Using small stitches, she conjures the history and mythology of the Sami people, telling of colonialism, state-sponsored racism, and political conflicts. Now she faces another struggle: the fight against climate change. Will her son be able to carry on the family tradition after generations of reindeer herding? ”Nature really comes alive in this fantastically beautiful story about the Sami worldview and mythology,” wrote Business Doc Europe.
After the film, Lars-Henrik Blind performs joik. A reindeer herder, joiker and storyteller who has been an active cultural worker in Sápmi for more than 40 years. As a young joiker, he toured with prominent joikers at home and abroad. Over the years, he has been involved in many different cultural projects, including at Giron Sámi Teáhter in Kiruna, and has toured as a storyteller throughout the Nordic region and participated in a number of different film productions.
The programme concludes with Britta Marakatt-Labba, Thomas Jackson and Elisabeth Heilmann Blind holding a panel discussion moderated by Tomas Colbengston.
”Arctic Highways — Unbounded Indigenous People” displays artworks and handicrafts by 12 Indigenous artists from Sápmi, Canada and Alaska in an exhibition that highlights the thriving cultural and spiritual communities of the Arctic region. The exhibition is open from 12:00 to 18:00.
The exhibition is on display until 22 July 2023.
VISIT THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION HERE →
SCANDINAVIA HOUSE, 58 PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10016
WEB: www.scandinaviahouse.org
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