Ethical guidelines in relation to my published articles

In a similar way, to the ethical issues in rock art research, these were again brought into focus concerning analysis conducted into the first of my four published articles for the doctoral dissertation, titled: The History of Lapland and the Case of the Sami noaidi Drum Figures Reversed (2011), a paper which demonstrates how historical, traditional knowledge has been misrepresented in missionary sources from the seventeenth cen-tury. The analysis was concerned with following ethical guidelines where in this case, new knowledge about Sámi oral tradition, to which the drums belong, was returned back to the Sámi to help benefit the culture.

The paper: The History of Lapland and the Case of the Sami Noaidi Drum Figures Reversed (2011), tells the story of how illustrations of noaidi drums from the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Nor-way, Sweden and Finland have been depicted in the two English editions (1674 and 1704), as well as the French (1678), and Dutch (1682), editions of The History of Lapland originally written in Latin (1673), by German linguist Johannes Schefferus, professor at Uppsala University, Sweden.

Within the context of the paper, and by following ethical guidelines in relation to the study of litera-ture sources, a careful study of the published illustrations of drums revealed how a number of widespread publication errors had gone unnoticed for over 340 years concerning misrepresentations of Sámi culture.

The core of each of the problems with the illustrations of the drums could be tied in with how the dis-tortion of Sámi religion and oral tradition by missionaries and clergymen from the seventeenth centuries were further falsified through the drum landscapes that were reversed or inaccurate, and thereby, subse-quently brought to the attention of the reader with regard to mis-representations of practices detailing the hunting of reindeers and bears, cosmological and mythical landscapes and also sacred sites.

What made the investigation into these historical sources important for the study in terms of research ethics was that by being aware of historical inaccuracies in reports about Sámi religion where readers of Schefferus’ volumes would have taken for granted that the illustrations of the drums were depicting their true portraits, through my research it was possible to bring new information as to how this was not the case.

Moreover, and as far as I am aware, neither the Sámi nor scholars outside the culture (as noted in the paper: The History of Lapland and the Case of the Sami Noaidi Drum Figures Reversed, 2011), had not noticed the images of the drums as being reversed in the later English, French and Dutch editions. How-ever, and with the exception of Swedish scholar Lillemor Lundström, Lundström (2009), had noticed reversed illustrations between the original Latin edition: Lapponia (1673), and the first English edition (1674), which had been republished in Sweden in 1971.

I wish to emphasise that the photographic pictures used in the analysis from Ernst Manker’s ethno-graphical fieldwork (1938 & 1950), played a fundamental role in being able to distinguish the reversed publication errors of the drums that had been drawn by Schefferus.

Making sure the information about the extent of the publication errors was shared with Sámi schol-ars, and thus my published paper was sent to the Sámi archive at the Sajos cultural centre in Inari, Finland as a way of returning knowledge that would be of value for the study of Sámi history.

Through the results of the research, I was able to bring into the critical analysis various points about cultural heritage, identity and representation as seen expressed in relation to what Erik Norberg and Birgitta Fossum (2011: 198), state in their discussion about Sámi Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Landscapes.

“Cultural heritage is related to other cultural expressions such as language, the Sámi way of life, food traditions [hunting and fishing] folklore, costumes and all the traditions relating to their habits and practices. Together, they form a system that helps set the frame of reference for Sámi culture”.

All I could do in the research was to generalize about what I had perceived as the results of the publica-tion errors and what the consequences were, and attempt to elaborate them as a way of making my points in the research as clear as possible so they could be understood as valuable scientific data. During the formulation of the results of the analysis, knowing there was a noteworthy outcome from the research meant that my contribution would have some value in relation to what Nordin Jonsson (2011: 109), says concerning how “this knowledge […] [could] be of great significance for those trying to regain their iden-tity and their lost heritage […]”.

The reference by Nordin Jonsson is used here because it brings into contrast how through the investiga-tion, it was possible to make further points about ethical practices in academic institutions (the example I have used in the 2011 publication is from the National Library of Finland, Helsinki), where illustrations and photographs of old noaidi drums are being sold to tourists, museum visitors, scholars ect, without any knowl-edge or understanding that the English edition of the History of Lapland contains images, which are reversed.

The un-ethical use of the material in this sense is a good example of what both Porsanger and Guttorm (2011: 36), refer to as “[…] possible commercial exploitation” of the material and therefore, presents a prob-lem. Moreover, the 1971 reprint of the first English edition of Lapponia is copy written to Bokförlaget Redi-viva, Sweden, as whereas the original manuscripts written by Schefferus are not copy written because they are so old, but the museums are still profiting from photographs of drums from the old texts, therefore, the situation seems quite complicated regarding copyright, representation and cultural property.

Moreover, addressing the publication errors can be viewed as an attempt to correct the inaccuracies and implications from the historical record as a way of building a bridge between past and present. Oth-erwise stated, this is where art history is rectified, and the results of the rectification, which has taken place through the analysis, help to understand why Sámi research in this case, in relation to drum sym-bolism, has to be approached and understood in a holistic way.

I have already described above the ethical guidelines in relation to rock art research but will elaborate further on these in relation to paper 2 in the dissertation titled: To All Our Relations: Evidence of Sámi Involvement in the Creation of Rock paintings in Finland (2014), published in Polar Record.

The short investigation (4 pages), examines the parallels between groups of horned and triangular head-ed figures identifihead-ed in the rock paintings in Finland and those found painthead-ed on noaidi drums from Swhead-eden and Norway from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The article demonstrates the value of compar-ative, narrative and descriptive research methods and analysis regarding the links between drum figures and rock paintings. Each of the comparisons are made through interpreting the horned and triangular headed figures as spirits, because from the starting point of the cyclicity of Sámi myths and practices, the material on the drums, when seen as an extension of the rock painting tradition, allows the continuity of culture to take place.

The points in the analysis, which conform to ethical research methods and practices are visible from the perspective of keeping the research within a local context and not venturing to other cultures for comparisons with other sources of rock art, as early research has done, as has been noted in the paper. In this way, the investigation examines the local traditions and questions claims that the rock paintings are Finnish, in an attempt to provide a more holistic interpretation and description, concerning the nature of the figures and their possible representations. Instead of going abroad, I have seen the rock art as a kind of network of diverse oral narratives with various contexts and contents, but also allowed for regional variations within the Sámi context.

The reason for undertaking an approach as such is because by referring to the rock paintings as be-ing Finnish, such a claim presents a series of disputes concernbe-ing issues of representation, in relation to the historic memory of the Sámi with regard to art, cultural landscapes, literature, religion and cultural practices.

In the study and requirements for ethical guidelines for the Documentation of Árbediehtu, Sámi Traditional Knowledge, Nordin Jonsson (2011: 97), has through her contribution likewise addressed this topic in her article which “[…] is an attempt to create guidelines for how árbediehtu (Sámi tradi-tional knowledge) should be documented without exploiting the culture”. Nordin Jonsson (2011: 101-102), then goes on to say that

“Each project to document árbediehtu will have its own context, so it is not possible to develop ethical guidelines to cover every possible situation that may arise during the documentation of traditional knowledge. The guidelines developed for árbediehtu are therefore rather gener-al, permitting adaptation to the various aims of different documentation projects. The goal of ethical guidelines for the documentation of árbediehtu is not to create uniformity with regard to documentation and traditional knowledge. Since árbediehtu itself is dynamic and varies be-tween regions, individuals, ect, the guidelines must be also be flexible and adaptable; otherwise there is a risk that the diversity of traditional knowledge will be lost in the process”.

In her scholarly article titled: The Problematisation of the Dichotomy of Modernity and Tradition in Indigenous and Sami Contexts (2011), Sámi scholar Jelena Porsanger has clearly outlined a number of important points in relation to how and when working with Sámi traditional knowledge, it is fundamen-tal to understand that within the Sámi value system (nature), past and present are not comprehended as being separate from each other, as is often the case in established western worldviews.

One of the key areas where traditional knowledge is found is in language and the use of terms in rela-tion to Sámi cosmology-worldviews and a study of the culture. (Porsanger 2011: 225), states the follow-ing. “I do not consider the established division into binary opposites as problematic, but I share the view of many indigenous scholars who argue that division of tradition and modernity into binary opposites is hostile to indigenous epistemologies”.

These points have been taken into account in relation to what has been written in scholarly discourse about continuity of Sámi culture where there are statements that the origins of rock art in Finland has its heritage somewhere in Finnish culture, as expressed through scholarly titles published on the subject matter. Confusion arises from a lack of understanding regarding how symbolism has survived for such a long time, the mechanisms behind its use, how it has been recognised, shared and subsequently reused as a method for the transmission of culture, which subsequently brings ethical issues into focus within research practices in relation to origin and heritage.

Paper 3, titled: What Influence do the Old Sámi Noaidi Drums from Lapland Play in the Construction of New Shaman Drums by Sámi Persons today? (2014), offers a new type of research based on participant observation (interviews) and the use of a translator for the research.

Where relevant, and because of the perceived occurrences of mistakes and understandings due to the language barrier and issues concerning past discrimination in the ways Sámi traditional knowl-edge has been collected and documented, the employment-hiring of a translator for participation observation, or someone from the culture who speaks the language, or related language (Finnish in this case), to whom the participant has agreed to work with as a middle person or bridge between researcher and participant was implemented. Through the exercise, proof was gained as to how in certain circumstances there is a better chance of interpreting traditional knowledge within different categories with the help of a translator. For example, social, religious and environmental dimensions of life, in relation to shamanism and art.

Being able to have the help of a translator in relation to the documentation of traditional knowledge has been a successful basis for helping to establish cooperation with Elle-Maaret Helander who was in-terviewed about her drum making and decoration, to the extent she was willing to share her knowledge regarding the construction and decoration of drums and the motivation behind each of these. This was also the case in the interviews with Ovlla Gaup from Kautokeino, Norway, the second Sámi drum maker, who I interviewed in English language.

Having the understanding of no division between past and present in the Sámi value system was cru-cial for learning how Sámi persons see both past and present as being intimately linked with one another and therefore, in an ethical way, how the culture continues and memory is preserved through production and decoration of new types of drums, in both cases (also see Porsanger 2004: 108).

This method proved to have a number of benefits in relation to what is referred to through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), by Guttorm (2011: 61), who recalls as to how

“Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and cus-toms. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature”.

Furthermore, and in addition to the aforementioned, Guttorm (2011: 61), then goes on to say how “Ac-cording to this, indigenous peoples have the right to make use of, and develop their cultural traditions, customs, skills and other manifestations of their civilization”. In this sense, the ethical guidelines em-ployed in the research and writing of paper 3: What Influence do the Old Sámi Noaidi Drums from Lap-land Play in the Construction of New Shaman Drums by Sámi persons Today? (2014), have made another positive contribution in relation to representation.

The ways in which the research methods and approaches have been used means the stories them-selves are a type of narrative with regard to aspects of the life stories of both participants; Helander’s in this case being the detailed one.

Broadly speaking, these points, which I have outlined above, help establish a suitable framework in which to test the hypothesis through the formulation of a research plan, consisting of undertaking the in-terviews, analysis of the research data collected and stating the outcomes of the investigation. Allowanc-es have also had to be made for misunderstandings, suspicion and limitations concerning the disclosure

of information, especially in relation to shamanism. The reasons for this is because there are also taboos and customs concerning the use and sharing of traditional knowledge, which are either kept secret or shared only amongst Sámi people relating to religious and cultural practices.

The hiring of Jenni Laitinen who was the translator for the interviews with Elle-Maaret Helander was very important, not only because Helander does not speak any English but because Laitinen and Helander know each other and therefore, a certain level of trust had already been established, which was crucial for the interview. By assigning a translator and also being open to listening and acknowledging the chemistry between the two women in relation to what Helander was to disclose to Laitinen before the interview regarding consent, which was related to me, this helped highlight the following points as stated by Connelly and Clandinin (1990: 4).

“In narrative inquiry, it is important that the researcher listen first to the practitioner’s story, and that it is the practitioner who first tells his or her story. This does not mean that the re-searcher is silenced in the process of narrative enquiry. It does mean that the practitioner, who has long been silenced in the research relationship, is given the time and space to tell her or his story so that it too gains the authority and validity that the research story has long had”.

As a further examination of the ethical guidelines for Sámi research with regard to the subject matter, covers a series of issues that have arisen concerning how trouble has arisen regarding the decoration of new types of drums, which I have presented in the chapter: A discussion concerning the types of issues, which have arisen in relation to the production and decoration of new types of drums and the reuse of noaidi drum symbolism throughout Sápmi, Finland.

Because of tourism and what is perceived as the exotic Sámi culture, as a result of drums being made for the tourist industry, questions have arisen as to whether or not such instruments are representing the real meanings of original drums and their symbols? I discovered throughout the course of the research how some drum makers have studied and read old texts and then made drums based on this learning.

However, it is not clear as to whether or not this type of learning is adequate to represent the culture regarding ethics and the forwarding of traditional knowledge? It seems that education in handicraft and art through duodji presents drum makers with a series of key questions as to the motivation for making and using a drum and its intended purposes or usage.

For example, arguments and the misuse of traditional knowledge are centered on people who make drums but do not know what they are doing. It can be argued in this case how the symbols from the old drums have lost their meaning and therefore, when a drum is created, it is important to be clear as to wheth-er it is a piece of art or a traditional handicraft production? (duodji), or something else such as a shaman drum? If the production is a shaman drum, then is there an awakening ritual which accompanies it?

These are interesting and important questions, which I have considered within the application of approaches and methods used in the research. It could be argued too, that one of the main reasons Sámi scholars alike have criticised people who make shaman drums is because they make experiments but do not have the correct knowledge and skills concerning what they are doing, and so may use them in an unconscious way, which the Sámi would see as not being good practice¹⁴. It seems to me that real noaidi drums, built for healing and divination, have been formulated, ritually constructed and decorated through a mixture of traditional knowledge and contemporary art.

14 See the chapter below: A discussion concerning the types of issues which have arisen in relation to the production and decoration of new types of drums and the reuse of noaidi drum symbolism in Finland

The fourth paper titled: Sámi Shamanism, Fishing Magic and Symbolism, published in: Shaman - The International Journal for Shamanistic Research (2015). The approaches used in the paper are descriptive, phenomenological and comparitive methods based on the role and function of narrative discourse and

The fourth paper titled: Sámi Shamanism, Fishing Magic and Symbolism, published in: Shaman - The International Journal for Shamanistic Research (2015). The approaches used in the paper are descriptive, phenomenological and comparitive methods based on the role and function of narrative discourse and