In recent decades Saami research has gone to new directions and become more multivoiced. The aim of the conference is to chart this new multivoiced research and to find out at what point Saami studies are today and what are the main questions, new thoughts, and directions at the present. Oovtâst will offer a multidisciplinary venue for finding new methodological, conceptual and epistemological approaches to Saami studies. The aim of the conference is to move from the earlier lappologist research and politically aimed functional Saami studies towards emancipatory science which critically analyses Saami culture and Saaminess using both emic perspectives and different theoretical and conceptual approaches.

Conference will bring together researchers, students, and artists specialized in Saami studies and culture. In addition it offers a forum for discussion concerning comparative indigenous studies. International scholars offer new perspectives on Saami studies and vice versa. We wish to gather together scholars specialized in indigenous studies and to offer a possibility to create new networks which will help to develop multidisciplinary research across state borders.

Themes of the conference are:
1. Saami culture, history and cultural practices: art, heritage, and changing representations
2. Language, knowledge and socialization
3. Saami society: politics and law related to cultural, social and ethnic differences

Confirmed keynote lecturers:
Kaisa Rautio-Helander, Sámi University College
Else Grete Broderstad, University of Tromso
Marja-Liisa Olthuis, University of Oulu
Torunn Pettersen, Sámi University College/University of Tromso
Sanna Valkonen, University of Lapland
 
The organizing committee invites the submission of abstracts for papers to be held in the conference. Abstracts for 15 minute presentations should be up to 300 words. After each presentation there will be 15 minutes for discussion. We welcome topics from different areas of Saami studies including for example archaeology, ethnography, sociology, political science, legal sciences and linguistics. Please submit the abstracts at the latest by April 1st, 2012 by e-mail to
veli-pekka.lehtola@oulu.fi 

Languages in the conference are Saami languages, Finnish and English.

CONFERENCE DEADLINES
April 30, 2013 Submission of paper abstracts 
May 20, 2013 Notification of approval of paper abstracts
August 1, 2013 Deadline for registration


CONFERENCE FEES
Registration fee: 50 euros
Dinner: 30 euros

CONFERENCE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
University of Oulu, Anni-Siiri Länsman and Veli-Pekka Lehtola

University of Lapland, Sanna Valkonen and Juha Karhu

Sámi Education Institution, Anne-Marie Kalla, Liisa Holmberg, and Outi Länsman

DRAFT PRWELIMINARY PROGRAM IS AVAILALBLE HERE