Árran Archive - Andrew Bahr (Sami reindeer expedition to Alaska)

The Native American and Sámi American community enjoyed a visit from the Ante Mikkel Gaup family from Gouvdageaidnu (KautokeinoBNorwegian side of Sápmi). Ante Mikkel and three of his six children, Lena Susanne, Sara Marielle, and Lars Ailo were invited to be the featured international indigenous guest artists at the United Tribes International Powwow, September 4-7, 2008. A regular feature of the powwow in recent years has been to have an indigenous cultural exchange group from outside North America and has included groups from the Maori, Aborigine and Inuit, among others. The powwow has had as many as 20,000 spectators and generally has 1,500 dancers and drummers representing tribes from all over North America. They performed with the name "Daughters and Sons of the Sun," derived from the Sámi creation story which says that we are descendants of the children of the Son of the Sun.

Ante Mikkel, Lena Susanne and Sara Marielle gave two yoik performances in the Lone Star Arena (they were rained out of a scheduled third performance). They held two children=s programs, one for the Tribal School on campus and one for the youth day event that draws children from all over the state of North Dakota to the powwow. One particularly memorable moment during the children's program was when Sara Marielle yoiked the mosquito (and it really sounds like a mosquito!) The children were supposed to guess what animal the Gaups had yoiked and one small child gleefully shouted out "An elephant!" Another guessed "A camel" for the bear yoik performed by Ante Mikkel. He responded by suggesting that it was perhaps time that the camel had a yoik.

Lars Ailo was on hand to help out and sell doudji (Sámi handicrafts), answer questions about handicraft exhibit pieces on loan from the Doudji Insitute (Duodjeinstituhtta), as well as field questions of

general interest about the Sámi people and culture. We were fortunate to be able to borrow a lavvu from Sámi American, Chris Pesklo, the man behind Northen Lavvu. Many pieces were on display in the lavvu, and it also served as quick shelter from the rain storms. Several Sámi Americans drove long distances to see the Gaups' performances and to meet them. One woman who had recently uncovered her Sámi roots was moved to tears when they yoiked Ante Mikkel's wife and his children's mother Tove, who is a coastal Sámi from Troms. The woman said to the Gaups, AYour wife and mother must be a really special woman!" Yoik is not just a song; it is emotion and spirit and is meant to be heard with the heart, and hers was listening.

The Gaups spent some days in Minneapolis where they had a cultural exchange evening with the Mendota Mndewakanton Dakota Community. There was yoik, Dakota and Mexican (Aztec) singing, a lavvu and a tipi, stories and a feast. Several Sámi Americans attended this event and the Gaups had the opportunity to visit the seedlings of the Four Grandfather Oaks, which were destroyed after the long battle against the highway 55 re-route. Ante Mikkel and Lars Ailo had an engagement in New York City at the Scandinavia House, and afterwards Ante Mikkel returned to Minneapolis for one day where he was invited to a sweat lodge held in his honor by the Mendota Mndewakanton Dakota Community. He was also given a tour of Northland Native American Products in the Ancient Traders Market and visited Camp Coldwater and Pike Island B both of historic importance to Native people locally.