MÁISTU
ALTA – MAY 13-15, 2025
Organizer: Sami Parliament
What´s happening?
The Sami Parliament is hosting Máistu – Sami food conference on May 14th in Alta, with lots of exciting things on the menu. There will also be a pre-event on May 13th, and a post-event on May 15th.
Máistu means taste in Sami. But Sami food is more than just ingredients and taste. It carries stories – stories about the proud people of Sápmi. We will also hear stories from other indigenous peoples in the Arctic and we will meet to shine a spotlight on indigenous food systems. These food systems are deeply rooted in tradition and sustainability, and they play a crucial role in preserving culture and identity. Through this event, we want to highlight the importance of indigenous knowledge and practices in the face of global challenges.
You are most welcome!
Speakers
Björn Ylipää
Bjørn Ylipää is a renowned food creator and cookbook author from Tornedalen, Sweden, known for his unique approach to food and dining experiences. Bjørn is characterized by a deep love for nature and a strong connection to his home region, which is reflected in his creative and inspiring culinary art.
In his talk, Bjørn will share his experiences and insights on how to create meaningful meals that not only satisfy the taste buds, but also tell a story and create a connection to both nature and culture.
Silje Karine Muotka
Silje Karine Muotka is the President of the Sami Parliament in Norway, a role she has held since 2021. Muotka has worked actively to protect and promote sustainable food systems in the Arctic, and has participated in international arenas to highlight how climate change affects Sami industries such as reindeer herding, fishing, and small-scale agriculture.
Silje Karine will open the conference with a speech about the importance of preserving indigenous traditions and knowledge in the face of global challenges, and how we can work together for a sustainable future.
Johan Buljo
Johan MN Buljo is assistant director of Finnmark Rein, Europe's largest producer of reindeer meat. Finnmark Rein is known for offering an exclusive raw material and placing great emphasis on quality and sustainability. They are also known for the quote "the meat, we cook it."
This expression reflects their pride in the traditional methods used to prepare reindeer meat. Pride and traditions are something that Johan will talk more about in his talk together with Ellinor Utsi from Davvi Siida.
Maret Ravdná Buljo
Máret is a reindeer herder from Lødingen in Nordland. She is also a Sami food entrepreneur and cultural mediator known for her work in preserving and promoting Sami food traditions, and has won the Ingrid Espelid Hovig Food Culture Award.
Máret Rávdná is particularly interested in sustainability and the use of the whole animal in cooking. In her lecture, “Hand in hand with our food”, Máret Rávdná will take us on a journey through the concepts of fishing happiness, hunting happiness and reindeer happiness.
What do these terms mean in today's society? How can we understand access to food and resources, stewardship, and a long-term perspective through these traditions? Is this old nonsense, or is it something very modern and relevant for a sustainable future.
Eva Norfjell, Rørosrein AS
Eva is the general manager of Rørosrein and has deep roots in the tradition of caring for reindeer for both food production, clothing and shoes. She is passionate about utilizing the whole animal, as her ancestors always have, and wants to continue Sami traditions in the preparation of meat. This includes smoked meat, smoked heart, blood meal and dried meat, adapted to modern food production rules.
Eva invites us to explore the rich and diverse food traditions of the Southern Sami. Through her talk, she will provide insight into how history, traditional methods and local ingredients have shaped Southern Sami food culture, which is also an important part of the Rørosrein brand.
Ellinor Guttorm Utsi
Ellinor will contribute her knowledge and storytelling about Sami food traditions through 8 seasons. In addition, she will give a presentation together with Johan Buljo from Finnmark Rein about their connection to Sami food and cooking methods.
Ellinor is the owner of Davvi Siida in Kjøllefjord, a family business that combines traditional Sami craftsmanship with modern design and dining experiences.
At Davvi Siida, they serve traditional Sami food and convey Sami food culture through storytelling, which provides a holistic cultural experience. Their work helps to preserve and promote Sami traditions for future generations. Ellinor designs, among other things, wool blankets inspired by traditional Sami patterns that preserve Sami aesthetics and cultural heritage. The company has received several awards, including the Šoop Šoop Award for excellent Sami design. Together with her husband Ailu Utsi and their children, they run reindeer herding on the Nordkyn Peninsula in the summer and in Tana in the winter.
Anna Sofia Kuoljok
Anna Sofia Kuoljok runs Sámi Safari Camp in Tysfjord – a small lavvo glamping site in the heart of the fjord, without grid or electricity. Anna was raised in the Lule Sami area on the Swedish side, and is passionate about communicating how the Sami way of life is expressed in our lives.
At the camp, she uses all her senses to give guests a deeper understanding of the Sami way of life, where the taste of the Sami is an important part of the whole experience.
Dried meat has been an essential part of Sami food culture for centuries, and has been crucial for survival during journeys, especially in the summer when fresh meat has not been available. The question is, can dried meat also be part of a spiritual experience?
Camilla Brattland, Trude Fonneland, Eli-Anita Øivand Schøning,
Camilla Brattland is an associate professor in cultural studies, Trude Fonneland is a professor in cultural studies and Eli-Anita Øivand Schøning is a PhD in humanities and social sciences. Brattland, Fonneland and Schøning are part of the interreg project Máhtut at the Arctic University Museum of Norway.
The project focuses on Maritime Sami food traditions, sustainability and how to create a basis for knowledge transfer to new generations. Through the project, we explore guohpparmális (egg ball soup) as a Maritime Sami food system.
Inge Arne Eriksen
Inge Arne Eriksen represents Bivdu, an organization that works to promote Sami fishing rights and sustainable management of fish resources in the North. Bivdu aims to ensure that Sami traditions and knowledge are safeguarded in modern fisheries management.
Inge Arne has extensive experience in the fishing industry and is a strong advocate for Sami rights. His insight into both traditional and modern management makes him an important voice in the debate on sustainable development in the highlands. At the Maistu conference, he will highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with fish as a natural resource and basis for development in the highlands.
Sheila and Johnny Flaherty
Sheila is the chef and founder of Sijjakkut, a 100% Inuit-owned tourism business that promotes Inuit culture. She is also the Nunavut Director of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and a board member of Travel Nunavut. She has been the event chef for the national Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami annual event three times and has also been a resident chef at the National Arts Centre.
In 2019, she co-hosted a New Arctic Kitchen event in Nuuk, Greenland. New Arctic Kitchen is a movement that combines the preservation of food traditions with development and inspiration. The event in Nuuk brought together food professionals from across the Arctic to share knowledge and methods, and shape the kitchens of the future. Sheila is the proud mother of her 28-year-old son Joshua and the wife of Johnny Flaherty. Johnny was born in Grise Fiord, Canada’s northernmost community.
He is the youngest of nine children and his parents were part of the High Arctic relocation in the 1950s. Johnny speaks and writes both Inuktitut and English, and learned early on to hunt and survive in the Arctic. Johnny and Sheila own Sijjakkut together and will talk about how they have adapted to modern times, while working to preserve traditional methods, through the lecture “Arctic Flavours: Inuit Cuisine Adapting to Modernity”.
Svein O. Leiros
Svein O. Leiros, general manager at the Center for Northern Peoples in Manndalen, will give a lecture about the challenges that arise when traditional Maritime Sami cuisine meets the requirements of modern regulations.
Leiros works dedicatedly to promoting and preserving Sea Sami food culture and traditions, and in this lecture he will shed light on the issues surrounding, among other things, the use of sheep's blood in traditional dishes such as blood club.
This talk provides insight into the complex balance between preserving cultural traditions and complying with current food laws, and invites reflection and discussion on how we can support indigenous peoples' rights and cultural heritage in today's society.
Ann Sparrock
Ann Sparrock is a passionate chef and project manager with a background in public gastronomy. She leads the Interreg project Syster Gastronomy and inspires food joy at Torsta AB.
Ann is also the reindeer owner of Jijnjevaerie Sameby, with deep roots in the Southern Sami area of Sweden. Her commitment to preserving and developing Sami food culture is a driving force in everything she does and during her presentation she will share insights into how she and her team are working to increase the proportion of Sami food in public institutions such as schools and elderly care, through close collaboration with Sami food producers and targeted capacity-building initiatives.
She will also highlight the cross-border collaboration between Sweden and Norway, which combines Swedish expertise in school kitchens with Norway's focus on food and health in education. This collaboration aims to strengthen the Sami food identity in public environments and contribute to preserving and developing the Sami cultural heritage for future generations.
Programme
The theme of the conference is indigenous food systems, food knowledge and traditions. We are working on the program and will provide additional information as soon as it is available. Stay tuned!
Pre-event
May 13th from 16:00 PM – 20:00 PM. More information about the program will be available as it becomes available.
Máistu – Sami food conference
May 14th at 09:00 – 16:00: Conference and Máistu – the taste of 8 seasons at Scandic Hotel Alta.
The taste of 8 seasons
May 14th at 16:30 PM – 20.00: PM: The taste journey through the 8 seasons continues (bus from Scandic Hotel Alta to Sami Siida Alta incl. dinner)
Post-event
May 15th from 09:00 AM – 12:00 AM. More information about the program will be available as it becomes available.
Are you ready for inspiring days in Alta?
We can't wait to meet you. It will be a great day filled with learning, networking and great flavors. Don't miss out - register here and join us!