Bridging traditional Sámi knowledges and contemporary educational landscapes

Download

5_EITN_2026_01_Kleemann.pdf

Abstract

Material culture is more than a visible representation of Sámi heritage; it offers bodily, tangible, and multisensory encounters that can safeguard children’s ways of being in the world. In the collaborative project Nordlige hager (Northern Gardens), an outdoor environment for a kindergarten was designed by Sámi architect and artist Joar Nango. The resulting play installations clearly reference Sámi coastal culture through a combination of different building technologies: boatbuilding and construction of the goathi (traditional peat hut) and the luovvi (hayloft). The choice of materials reflects the local cultural and natural landscape of Tromsø. Through participatory research design, we followed the construction process together with the children and staff in the kindergarten, as well as the artist/architect and boatbuilder creating the play installations.

In this article, we explore the transformation of traditional elements in Sámi contemporary architectural art in a kindergarten. We argue that this transformation manifests hidden or neglected elements into an everyday technology that relates to the needs of children now and into the future: play, imagination, movement and sensory experience. The functionality of the elements across time, could be a step towards reconciliation, offering both cultural preservation and innovation.

content

Full content in PDF

Keywords

reconciliation, educational landscape, transformation, traditional technology, material culture

DOI