Sami poet and artist Nils-Aslak Valkeapää discusses teaching local kids and writers cultural tradition of Sami people. Segment includes Valkeapää reading poem.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) We can say that it is Sammy music Sammy folk music but in fact, so it is quite much more not only music and especially before it was it had two other kind of function as gotta see it today today. We can say that your king is on the states and same and they dislike a concerts and musical happening. But before it was it was for example, it was some kind of step to another world. It was using with Shaman and the when they were making their own session, so they used also you're joking. And then we can say that the your king was also some kind of social contact between other people's they do not need to use the birds at all. They can like will each other
(00:01:10) is it also used in
(00:01:12) storytelling? Yes, it is. Let's try that is true. But until there is many other kind of story. Tilling in we can say that it's some kind was like a process another style was like a
(00:01:34) poem.
(00:01:37) But today this tradition is broken. And today there is not usually they do not use words at all.
(00:01:48) Can you read something from one of your books or a
(00:01:51) poem by Sonny? Hmm? They with month - yeah a key element Arcos for Lily. Give this Joker than your attention with you private, man,
(00:02:17) man.
(00:02:19) Yeah, yucky.
(00:02:24) We sir, can you
(00:02:25) translate or days passed by months and even years the meaning of life is still as unclear in the evening? I sit down let my eyes travel days passed by months and even years.
(00:02:43) The Poetry of Sami writer and artist NEOS a slack volcania, / how old is the Sami culture?
(00:02:52) No one know how old we are and it is really very old and we can say also that for example our music your cooking is one of the oldest in music style, but you can find in the world
(00:03:12) do you feel A connection between your Sami culture and cultures of Native Americans.
(00:03:19) Yes, I do it and we have worked together plenty of years and we have we have quite a much contact with each other. We arranged to meet things and and two concepts and cultural happening and and we keep contact all the time. with each other
(00:03:46) How important is the shaman in Sami culture?
(00:03:51) It was necessary. It was some kind of
(00:03:54) leader
(00:03:58) both both philosophical but also in Practical leader, but today I do not know if there is any shamans. Living in Summerland. Maybe maybe not
(00:04:17) how important is the
(00:04:18) Storyteller? It was very important before because there was not radio or television and entity. It was also wonderful possibility tells about the history and maybe some thing that young people's can learn something about nature or life.
(00:04:49) Are you worried about Le G taking away from the Sami culture that this
(00:04:54) a to other possibilities another is that it is taking away. But another is that we can use it for it. We can keep our own culture. But unfortunately, we have not so much possibilities against the big television or finish that I am little pessimistic maybe that it is taking away our own culture.
(00:05:29) Is there a message that you would like to give to those of us here in the United States about the Sami people?
(00:05:39) I like to underline that. I hope that people in the world will understand more
(00:05:49) nature.
(00:05:51) And I mean that it should be so that people are human beings only one part from the nature not master own
(00:06:03) nature.
(00:06:05) Thank you very much Keith a minute.