Developed by the Norwegian Museums Association and the Sámi Museums Society (now the Sámi Section of the Norwegian Museums Association), the guide responds to a need identified by museums, archives and other memory institutions for practical and ethical guidance on the management, interpretation and accessibility of Sámi photographic material.
Although rooted in the Sámi context and based on photographic collections from Sápmi – the traditional Sámi area spanning northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, and parts of north-western Russia – the publication is intended to be useful far beyond these regions. Many of its recommendations on language use, historical contextualisation and the identification of cultural and ethnic markers in photographs can be adapted to work with collections relating to other Indigenous peoples and minority communities.
The guide was developed to help institutions navigate challenges relating to privacy, identification, cataloguing, records management and public access. It aims to support the ethical stewardship of Sámi photographic heritage while simultaneously improving access to these materials for researchers, the wider public and Sámi communities.
Primarily intended for institutions without in-house Sámi expertise, the publication offers guidance on the acquisition, cataloguing and interpretation of Sámi photographs, as well as their responsible presentation and dissemination. It also encourages institutions with existing knowledge of Sámi heritage to further develop the contextual understanding of their collections.
A central message of the guide is that strengthening institutional competence and confidence in working with Indigenous and minority heritage can lead to more culturally sensitive, accurate and inclusive collection practices. While developed in response to needs identified in Norway, the authors note that many of the underlying questions and challenges are relevant to memory institutions internationally.
- Access the English version:Small steps can make a big difference - Ethical guidelines for how to make Sámi photography accessible and interpret/communicate it
- Access the Northern Sámi version: Smávva rievdadusat sáhttet stuora erohusa dahkat. Sámi govaid almmustahttin ja gaskkusteapmi. Etihkalaš rávvagat.
- Access the Norwegina version: Små grep kan gjøre stor forskjell - Etisk veileder for tilgjengeliggjøring og formidling av samisk fotografi
