Experienced geographies and alternative realities : representing Sápmi and Meänmaa

In "Experienced Geographies and Alternative Realities", Anne Heith (associate professor of comparative literature at Umeå University) analyzes texts by authors such as Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, Ann-Helén Laestadius, Bengt Pohjanen and Rosa Liksom, to examine representations of Sápmi, the traditional Sámi homeland, as well as the proposed Tornedalian cultural region that is encompassed in the concept of Meänmaa. These representations of place are linked to critical approaches to the homogenizing nation-building conducted in Norway, Sweden and Finland, which has marginalized the indigenous Sámi people and the Tornedalian-Finnish minority in northern Sweden. The theme of place-making is related to theories from geocritical studies, indigenous studies, ecocritical studies and environmental humanities. Anne Heith är docent i litteraturvetenskap och forskare vid Institutionen för kultur- och medievetenskap, Umeå universitet. "Experienced geographies and alternative realities" är ett resultat av forskningsprojekten Litteratur och platsframställning , finansierat av Vetenskapsrådet, och Andra platser i litteraturundervisningen , finansierat av Umeå lärarhögskola.