Guh lejmeh sámieh / When we were Sami

Umesamiska:

Swedish:
In the fall of 2024, Västerbottensteatern in collaboration with Åarjelhsaemien teatere will stage the serial novel När vi var samer by Mats Jonsson - with Ume Sami and Swedish as the stage language.

When Mats Jonsson's grandfather dies, the family opens for the first time the sealed and forbidden sweep box that has always been in the home. Inside are reindeer mark certificates, letters from the reindeer herder in Västerbotten County and photos from reindeer separations. It turns out that Mats is descended from a family of forest Sami in the Malå area. Why has it been a secret? Why did they stop being Sami? And why do they know so little about their history?

"When we were Sami" is a chronicle of a family's centuries-old struggle to preserve their way of life, and an insightful portrait of Mats's grandfather, who finally had to give up. It is also an educational account of the Sami history in Sweden that schools have never managed to give us.

In the performance, we follow Mats' search back in time, among small and large events that still affect us today, but also on his personal journey into a new, Sami identity. The story moves between "past and present" and humor has an important place in the story.

The ensemble consists of five actors who portray both Mats and the generations that have gone before him and the visual and musical language connects now and then in this powerful performance about reclaiming one's history.

Produced by Västerbottensteatern in collaboration with Åarjelhsaemien teatere/Sydsamiska teatern, Mo i Rana.