Liisa-Rávná Finbog is an indigenous Sámi researcher, writer, curator and artist who works at the intersection of art and academia, countering colonial narratives about the Sámi people. She seeks to remedy the legacy of epistemic ignorance resulting from the assimilation policies of Scandinavian—in her case, Norwegian—governments, which have resulted in the erasure of the language, cultural heritage and identity of Sámi communities. To this end, Liisa-Rávná Finbog draws on her training in archaeology and museology as well as her role as a duójar (a storyteller and holder of Saami knowledge). She carries out research into the knowledge system embedded in duodji practices as a theoretical and action framework from which to question museum practices, revitalise Sámi methodologies, and reclaim the knowledge and value systems of indigenous peoples.

Photo: Liisa-Rávná Finbog by Eirin Torgersen