Sámi dutkama máttut
Jelena Porsanger, Irja Seurujärvi-Kari
Abstract
The chapter highlights the methodological importance in research of knowledgeable Smi persons who had formal academic education and traditional knowledge-based competence. We regard these persons as the forerunners of present-day Smi methodological thinking, Smi dutkama mttut. They envisioned how Smi issues can be studied and written about. They were able to write and conduct research based on their knowledge about the Smi ways of thinking, philosophies and life maintenance. Between the 17th and 20th century, non-Smi scholars were in the majority in shaping information about the Smi. Today, Indigenous research methodologies shed light on Indigenous languages and experiences when theorising Indigenous knowledges. These ideas can be traced back to Smi thinkers over the last five hundred years, even if this not overtly articulated in their writings. In their work, one can identify certain methodological choices, which we nowadays almost take for granted. This chapter is a tribute to the great Smi thinkers who contributed to the rise of Smi research from the Smi perspective until Smi research was institutionalized by the establishment of the Nordic Smi Institute in 1973. In this chapter, we also introduce and apply the lvvu method as an analytical tool.