Latest news with #Indigenousculture
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Local archeologist studying Indigenous rock art shares stories from elders in new book
Brad Himour's new book is about rock art in southern Alberta and southeastern B.C. and the meaning behind them according to Indigenous elders. Brad Himour spent 15 years collecting photos and stories behind Indigenous pictographs for his book, Forgotten Dreams: A New Look at Ancient Rock Art Sites. He's an archeologist who has spent a lot of time working with Indigenous peoples and says he's always been interested in their storytelling prowess, verbally or through rock art. 'The goal with the book was really to work together collaboratively with Indigenous elders and have them speak to the cultural meaning and cultural significance of Indigenous rock art sites in their own words,' he said. 'The educational aspect was really why the elders were excited to participate; they would like their knowledge passed on to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth.' Himour learned that in southern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia, there are more than 3,000 pictograph sites. 'A lot of those locations, people returned to every year,' he said. 'Really, that tie to the landscape and those places on the landscape, like a natural spring for water or for hot springs, places like that were all part of the cultural way of life for Indigenous people.' Himour says while there are similarities in the messages recorded on the rocks, there are various ways of telling them by the many Indigenous cultures. 'There's 200 Indigenous languages in Canada (and) there's probably 200 Indigenous traditions about who can make the rock art site and what the protocol was and what the sites mean,' he said. 'So, we found there's just an incredible diversity among Indigenous people in terms of their storytelling.' Himour says many of the rock paintings were made by mixing a red or orange mineral called ochre that's ground into a fine powder. It's then mixed with bear or deer grease and applied to a rock face. It's a combination that's endured for thousands of years. 'In some ways, pictographs are threatened; they're really starting to fade from the memory of the people as well as fading on the landscape,' he said. 'So, we thought it was important to record the knowledge of these elders that had incredible cultural knowledge and be able to provide something educational that could be passed on to future generations.' Himour learned by talking to Indigenous elders that some pictographs are directions that include how long it will take to get somewhere, while others serve as a warning. 'There's a rock art site near the Historic Cochrane Ranche site,' he said. 'It's of a Blackfoot shield-bearing warrior, and one of the elders said, 'That's our way of saying we're here; this is our territory,' and so that was purposely left on the landscape so that anyone travelling through that territory knew that they were in Blackfoot Confederacy territory.' Himour says he's hopeful readers will gain a new appreciation for the rich Indigenous history in the area but also respect the artwork. 'All of these pictograph sites are protected either by provincial or federal legislation,' he said. 'So, we really ask people to go ahead and visit the sites and see them on the landscape; it's an amazing experience, but just make sure to leave them as you found them.' You can learn more about the book at
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Why Europe's only indigenous tribe started a rap festival in the Arctic circle
It was well past midnight when Mihkku Laiti took to the stage at an open-air music festival in Utsjoki, a Finnish village nestled north of the Arctic Circle. Despite the hour, Lapland's famous midnight sun still illuminated the scene; during summer, the sun never sets in Utsjoki, which lies less than 50 kilometres from the Arctic Ocean. Under the glow of blue spotlights, Laiti, known by his stage name "Yungmiqu," captivated a crowd of over 300, many singing along and dancing. Like the majority of Utsjoki's residents, Laiti is a member of the Sámi – Europe 's only recognised Indigenous people – and he performed his raps in his native Sámi language. Laiti, the founder of the Loktafeasta rap festival, first gained prominence on the television show Talent Finland. He famously surprised the judges by rapping while wearing the gákti, the traditional Sámi dress. This distinctive attire is brightly coloured, often characterised by plaits, intricate pewter embroidery, and a high collar. The festival brought Laiti's Indigenous culture to the spotlight, though some of his fans could not understand what he was saying. That didn't seem to bother anyone at the Loktafeasta as the festival mixed performances from artists in both Sámi language and Finnish. Some drank beer and ate sausages and the crowd seemed to enjoy the summer festival atmosphere despite spells of rain. 'When I rap about my culture... I want to show how being Sámi is like from my point of view," Laiti told The Associated Press. 'Because there are many stereotypes about Sámi people and I want to like normalize ... the basic stuff we do and not romanticize those things,' he said. He added that he has not worn the gákti for performances for about a year now to show people that it is possible to be Sámi and wear whatever you want. Europe's only recognised indigenous people The Sámi traditionally live in Lapland, which stretches from northern parts of Norway to Sweden and Finland to Russia. However, of the roughly 10,000 Sámi people living in Finland, the majority now live outside their homeland. The Sámi people were oppressed for centuries by the powers that ruled and exploited their lands, including bans of the use of their native tongues and efforts to suppress their culture. In the past decades, there have been efforts to reestablish their rights, including the right to use Sámi languages which is now guaranteed in the Finnish constitution. Today, the historically semi-nomadic Sámi people have modern lifestyles. The few who still tend reindeer do so with modern vehicles, digital tools and regulated land use. However, there is an effort to preserve the Sámi's cultural identity. Distinctive Sámi clothing was worn by many at Loktafeasta, as is typical on special occasions. Artists rap in Finnish and Sámi language At the festival, Laiti mostly wanted his fans to be happy and enjoy the music. 'I want people to feel joy, of course, and I just want people to be happy that we have this kind of festival here in Utsjoki," he said with a smile. Among the other acts was a duo comprised of self-confessed old school tango crooner Jaakko Laitinen and rapper Jouni J. They also reside in Lapland and perform in Finnish. 'I see a connection from the hip hop and the tinkering with words to the old Finnish like Kalevala freestyling folk poetry," said Laitinen, referring to Finland's national epic about the Earth's creation. "So that obvious connection and the Finnish tango ... is part of our soul and heart,' he added. A world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx Although the duo's songs were a world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx in New York City, their performance brought joy to Utsjoki's locals and visitors. 'Music travels and music brings people together. It's the magic of the international language of music,' Laitinen said.
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
A Rap festival near the Arctic Ocean delights crowds under the midnight sun
It was well past midnight when Mihkku Laiti appeared on stage to perform at an open-air music festival in the Finnish village of Utsjoki north of the Arctic circle. Despite the time, Lapland's famous midnight sun was still up. During the summer months, the sun doesn't go down at all in Utsjoki, which is less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Arctic Ocean. In the glow of blue spotlights, Laiti rapped while a crowd of more than 300 listened, some of them singing along and dancing. Like the majority of Utsjoki's residents, Laiti is a member of the Sámi—Europe's only recognized Indigenous people—and he rapped in his native Sámi language. Laiti, also known by his stage name Yungmiqu, is the founder of the Loktafeasta rap festival. He first found fame on the television show 'Talent Finland,' where he surprised the judges by rapping in the gákti, the traditional dress of the Sámi. It is brightly colored and often characterized by plaits, pewter embroidery, and a high collar. The festival brought Laiti's Indigenous culture to the spotlight, though some of his fans could not understand what he was saying. That didn't seem to bother anyone at the Loktafeasta, as the festival mixed performances from artists in both Sámi language and Finnish. Some drank beer and ate sausages, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the summer festival atmosphere despite spells of rain. 'When I rap about my culture ... I want to show how being Sámi is like from my point of view,' Laiti told The Associated Press. 'Because there are many stereotypes about Sámi people, and I want to like normalize ... the basic stuff we do and not romanticize those things,' he said. He added that he has not worn the gákti for performances for about a year now to show people that it is possible to be Sámi and wear whatever you want. Europe's only recognized indigenous people, the Sámi, traditionally live in Lapland, which stretches from northern parts of Norway to Sweden and Finland to Russia. However, of the roughly 10,000 Sámi people living in Finland, the majority now live outside their homeland. The Sámi people were oppressed for centuries by the powers that ruled and exploited their lands, including bans of the use of their native tongues and efforts to suppress their culture. In the past decades, there have been efforts to reestablish their rights, including the right to use Sámi languages, which is now guaranteed in the Finnish constitution. Today, the historically semi-nomadic Sámi people have modern lifestyles. The few who still tend reindeer do so with modern vehicles, digital tools, and regulated land use. However, there is an effort to preserve the Sámi's cultural identity. Distinctive Sámi clothing was worn by many at Loktafeasta, as is typical on special occasions. Artists rap in Finnish and Sámi language. At the festival, Laiti mostly wanted his fans to be happy and enjoy the music. 'I want people to feel joy of course, and I just want people to be happy that we have this kind of festival here in Utsjoki,' he said with a smile. Among the other acts was a duo comprised of self-confessed old school tango crooner Jaakko Laitinen and rapper Jouni J. They also reside in Lapland and perform in Finnish. 'I see a connection from the hip hop and the tinkering with words to the old Finnish like Kalevala freestyling folk poetry,' said Laitinen, referring to Finland's national epic about the Earth's creation. 'So that obvious connection and the Finnish tango ... is part of our soul and heart,' he added. Although the duo's songs were a world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx in New York City, their performance brought joy to Utsjoki's locals and visitors. 'Music travels and music brings people together. It's the magic of the international language of music,' Laitinen said.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A rap festival near the Arctic Ocean delights crowds under the midnight sun
It was well past midnight when Mihkku Laiti appeared on stage to perform at an open-air music festival in the Finnish village of Utsjoki, north of the Arctic circle. Despite the time, Lapland's famous midnight sun was still up. During the summer months the sun doesn't go down at all in Utsjoki, which is less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Arctic Ocean. In the glow of blue spotlights, Laiti rapped while a crowd of more than 300 listened, some of them singing along and dancing. Like the majority of Utsjoki's residents, Laiti is a member of the Sámi — Europe 's only recognized Indigenous people — and he rapped in his native Sámi language. Laiti, also known by his stage name 'Yungmiqu,' is the founder of the Loktafeasta rap festival. He first found fame on the television show Talent Finland, where he surprised the judges by rapping in the gákti, the traditional dress of the Sámi. It is brightly colored and often characterized by plaits, pewter embroidery and a high collar. The festival brought Laiti's Indigenous culture to the spotlight, though some of his fans could not understand what he was saying. That didn't seem to bother anyone at the Loktafeasta as the festival mixed performances from artists in both Sámi language and Finnish. Some drank beer and ate sausages and the crowd seemed to enjoy the summer festival atmosphere despite spells of rain. 'When I rap about my culture ... I want to show how being Sámi is like from my point of view," Laiti told The Associated Press. 'Because there are many stereotypes about Sámi people and I want to like normalize ... the basic stuff we do and not romanticize those things,' he said. He added that he has not worn the gákti for performances for about a year now to show people that it is possible to be Sámi and wear whatever you want. Europe's only recognized indigenous people The Sámi traditionally live in Lapland, which stretches from northern parts of Norway to Sweden and Finland to Russia. However, of the roughly 10,000 Sámi people living in Finland, the majority now live outside their homeland. The Sámi people were oppressed for centuries by the powers that ruled and exploited their lands, including bans of the use of their native tongues and efforts to suppress their culture. In the past decades, there have been efforts to reestablish their rights, including the right to use Sámi languages which is now guaranteed in the Finnish constitution. Today, the historically semi-nomadic Sámi people have modern lifestyles. The few who still tend reindeer do so with modern vehicles, digital tools and regulated land use. However, there is an effort to preserve the Sámi's cultural identity. Distinctive Sámi clothing was worn by many at Loktafeasta, as is typical on special occasions. Artists rap in Finnish and Sámi language At the festival, Laiti mostly wanted his fans to be happy and enjoy the music. 'I want people to feel joy, of course, and I just want people to be happy that we have this kind of festival here in Utsjoki," he said with a smile. Among the other acts was a duo comprised of self-confessed old school tango crooner Jaakko Laitinen and rapper Jouni J. They also reside in Lapland and perform in Finnish. 'I see a connection from the hip hop and the tinkering with words to the old Finnish like Kalevala freestyling folk poetry," said Laitinen, referring to Finland's national epic about the Earth's creation. "So that obvious connection and the Finnish tango ... is part of our soul and heart,' he added. A world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx Although the duo's songs were a world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx in New York City, their performance brought joy to Utsjoki's locals and visitors. 'Music travels and music brings people together. It's the magic of the international language of music,' Laitinen said.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
A rap festival near the Arctic Ocean delights crowds under the midnight sun
UTSJOKI, Finland (AP) — It was well past midnight when Mihkku Laiti appeared on stage to perform at an open-air music festival in the Finnish village of Utsjoki, north of the Arctic circle. Despite the time, Lapland's famous midnight sun was still up. During the summer months the sun doesn't go down at all in Utsjoki, which is less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Arctic Ocean. In the glow of blue spotlights, Laiti rapped while a crowd of more than 300 listened, some of them singing along and dancing. Like the majority of Utsjoki's residents, Laiti is a member of the Sámi — Europe's only recognized Indigenous people — and he rapped in his native Sámi language. Laiti, also known by his stage name 'Yungmiqu,' is the founder of the Loktafeasta rap festival. He first found fame on the television show Talent Finland, where he surprised the judges by rapping in the gákti, the traditional dress of the Sámi. It is brightly colored and often characterized by plaits, pewter embroidery and a high collar. The festival brought Laiti's Indigenous culture to the spotlight, though some of his fans could not understand what he was saying. That didn't seem to bother anyone at the Loktafeasta as the festival mixed performances from artists in both Sámi language and Finnish. Some drank beer and ate sausages and the crowd seemed to enjoy the summer festival atmosphere despite spells of rain. 'When I rap about my culture ... I want to show how being Sámi is like from my point of view,' Laiti told The Associated Press. 'Because there are many stereotypes about Sámi people and I want to like normalize ... the basic stuff we do and not romanticize those things,' he said. He added that he has not worn the gákti for performances for about a year now to show people that it is possible to be Sámi and wear whatever you want. Europe's only recognized indigenous people The Sámi traditionally live in Lapland, which stretches from northern parts of Norway to Sweden and Finland to Russia. However, of the roughly 10,000 Sámi people living in Finland, the majority now live outside their homeland. The Sámi people were oppressed for centuries by the powers that ruled and exploited their lands, including bans of the use of their native tongues and efforts to suppress their culture. In the past decades, there have been efforts to reestablish their rights, including the right to use Sámi languages which is now guaranteed in the Finnish constitution. Today, the historically semi-nomadic Sámi people have modern lifestyles. The few who still tend reindeer do so with modern vehicles, digital tools and regulated land use. However, there is an effort to preserve the Sámi's cultural identity. Distinctive Sámi clothing was worn by many at Loktafeasta, as is typical on special occasions. Artists rap in Finnish and Sámi language At the festival, Laiti mostly wanted his fans to be happy and enjoy the music. 'I want people to feel joy, of course, and I just want people to be happy that we have this kind of festival here in Utsjoki,' he said with a smile. Among the other acts was a duo comprised of self-confessed old school tango crooner Jaakko Laitinen and rapper Jouni J. They also reside in Lapland and perform in Finnish. 'I see a connection from the hip hop and the tinkering with words to the old Finnish like Kalevala freestyling folk poetry,' said Laitinen, referring to Finland's national epic about the Earth's creation. 'So that obvious connection and the Finnish tango ... is part of our soul and heart,' he added. A world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx Although the duo's songs were a world away from the birthplace of rap music in the Bronx in New York City, their performance brought joy to Utsjoki's locals and visitors. 'Music travels and music brings people together. It's the magic of the international language of music,' Laitinen said.
