Čakča skuvla in Guovdageaidnu: Learning, connecting, and carrying our relationships forward

A space we created together

From 5–12 October 2027, we gathered at Sámi allaskuvla in Guovdageaidnu, in the heart of Sápmi, for Čakča skuvla — Autumn School in North Sámi.

We came together as Indigenous people with different histories, experiences, languages, and relationships to our communities. Over the course of the week, these different experiences met in conversations, shared meals, laughter, moments of reflection and silence, and care. Čakča skuvla was an invitation to learn with and from one another and to imagine the kinds of learning spaces and futures we wanted to create together. The week reminded us that Indigenous learning takes place through relationships with one another, with our elders and communities, with our lands, and through the knowledge, practices, and stories we carry across generations.

Sharing knowledge, creating space, and learning with one another

Throughout the week, we participated in the 2026 Sámi and Indigenous Education Conference, a space for sharing knowledge, experiences, and perspectives on Indigenous education. Vivi Vold presented her powerful film “From Where We View the World”, offering points of reflection. Our Birgejupmi group also hosted a side event, bringing together voices and experiences from different Indigenous contexts to explore Indigenous approaches to education, teaching, and learning, as well as the ongoing work of Indigenisation within educational settings.

We were especially honoured to learn from and spend time with Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, whose groundbreaking work has profoundly shaped Indigenous research and education, and decolonising methodologies internationally. Her commitment to Indigenous self-determination continue to inspire generations of Indigenous educators, and communities to reclaim knowledge, challenge colonial structures, and imagine futures grounded in Indigenous values, relationships, and aspirations. Having her with us in Guovdageaidnu created a meaningful opportunity to continue these conversations together and reflect on what Indigenous-led education can make possible.

We also valued the exchange between Line Karlsen from Sámi allaskuvla’s Pathfinder Programme and representatives of The Greenlandic House. Their conversations highlighted the importance of further strengthening North-to-North exchanges between Indigenous students, creating more opportunities to connect, share experiences, learn from one another, and build relationships across northern Indigenous communities. The Pathfinder Programme offered an inspiring point of connection, prompting reflections on how educational pathways can better encourage and support Indigenous students while fostering connections between institutions and communities. Together, these exchanges strengthened our shared commitment to nurturing Indigenous-led learning opportunities and more meaningful, empowering educational experiences.

Our conversations with Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen, co-lead of the Centre of Excellence for MultiBEING Justice in Indigenous Societies, and Francisco Apurinã of the Apurinã nation in the Brazilian Amazon, offered perspectives on Indigenous knowledge, self-determination, and what justice means across relationships between people, land, and other beings. Their work resonates with Birgejupmi’s commitment to learning spaces grounded in Indigenous values, and ways of being.

Eva Fjellheim also brought valuable perspectives to our conversations, enriching our reflections on Indigenous knowledge, Sámi experiences, decolonisation, and the ongoing struggles for Indigenous rights, recognition, and self-determination.

We also appreciated the welcoming Lavvu space at the conference, where Indigenous knowledge could be shared through duodji, and crafts: making and creating are meaningful ways of carrying knowledge, and connecting across Indigenous communities.

Within Čakča skuvla, our shared space became a place for being together, reflecting, talking, beading, drawing, creating, and exchanging thoughts and experiences. We brought parts of our lives and communities into the space through Greenlandic food, music, songs, stories, and the things that mattered to us. Knowledge was shared in many ways, through listening and conversation, through singing together, and sharing stories, through our hands as we are beading together, and through simply spending time together. As we shared these relaitonal moments, we continued to build connections across our different Indigenous contexts, learning with and from one another. And some of the most meaningful moments emerged through these exchanges: when we listened to one another, recognised experiences that resonated across our communities, encountered perspectives that challenged our assumptions, and discovered new questions to carry home. We did not need to arrive at the same answers. We made space for different experiences and understandings, allowing them to sit alongside one another and open up new ways of thinking.

For Birgejupmi, these shared moments are central to the work of nurturing Indigenous spaces. They remind us that learning from and with each other is about how we come together, how we relate to one another.

As we carry these conversations and experiences forward, we remain grateful for the knowledge shared, the generosity of those who participated, and the relationships that continue to grow across our Indigenous cultures and territories. These connections are part of what makes Čakča skuvla meaningful and part of what we will continue to nurture beyond our time together in Sápmi.

Learning with Sámi culture, community, people, places and institutions

Our time in Guovdageaidnu and the Sápmi region offered many opportunities to learn from Sámi educational, cultural, artistic, and political spaces, and from the people who generously welcomed us into them. Each visit opened up different perspectives on Sámi knowledge, histories, contemporary cultural expression, and the ongoing work of sustaining Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

We were full of joy and deeply grateful to have Asta Mitkijá Balto, elder and ethical advisor to Birgejupmi, with us during our visit to Sámiid Vuorká-Dávvirat (the Sámi Museum) in Kárášjohka (Karasjok). Her wisdom, care, and guidance are an important part of our shared journey. At Sámiid Vuorká-Dávvirat we were standing together around Anders Poulsen’s Sámi drum, it was one of the most powerful moments of our time in Sápmi. Returned to Sámi ownership in 2022 after being held by the National Museum of Denmark, the drum carries a history that reaches beyond the object itself. Gathering around it, we felt a moment that invited presence, respect, silence and reflection on the repatriation of sacred objects, and the relationships between objects, communities, ancestors, and living traditions, and the importance for Indigenous communities reclaiming and caring for their own histories. We also encountered the integrated artworks of Sámi artist Iver Jåks, who worked with the museum’s architects in the 1970s to bring Sámi artistic expression into the building itself. His work offered another way to experience how Sámi knowledge, spirituality and cultural perspectives can be carried through art and place.

We were grateful to meet Dine Arnannguaq Fenger Lynge from Dáiddadállu – the Sámi Artist Network, who introduced us to the Birgejupmi Through Art & Duodji exhibition and guided us through the works and ideas it brings together. Featuring Indigenous artistic expressions from Sápmi, Kalaallit Nunaat, and beyond, the exhibition created space to encounter art and duodji as living forms of knowledge, creativity, and connection. It invited us to reflect on how artistic practices carry relationships with land and sea, learn from those who came before us, share knowledge across generations, and carry our stories, identities, and ways of being into the future. Art was also with us beyond the exhibition space. We were so happy to wear our Birgejupmi Through Art T-shirts, featuring the creative work of Sámi artist Kine Yvonne Kjær and Kalaaleq artist Ivínguak Stork Høegh. Their collaboration brings together artistic perspectives from Sápmi and Kalaallit Nunaat, making visible the connections that grow through Indigenous creative exchange. We loved having these artwork T-shirts.

At the Sámi High School and Reindeer Husbandry School, teacher Oddbjørg Heatta Sara introduced us to the school, its educational approach, and the important work it does. We found it deeply inspiring to learn how education at the school is rooted in Sámi life, languages, knowledge, and practices, including reindeer husbandry and the passing on of duodji knowledge across generations. We especially enjoyed meeting and exchanging with the duodji students as they worked on reindeer leather bracelets, sharing skills through the practice of making.It was great to experience an educational environment where Sámi perspectives and ways of life are an integral part of learning and everyday life.

We also visited Beaivváš Sámi National Theatre, where the staff welcomed us and shared insights into the theatre’s work anad we visited the amazing sound studio. Together, these visits reminded us of the importance of Indigenous-led spaces that strengthen cultural continuity and create opportunities for younger generations to learn, create, and carry culture forward.

Our visit to the Sámi Museum (Sámiid Vuorká-Dávvirat) and Sámi Dáiddamagasiidna (the Sámi Art Collections Department) was enriched by Pablo N. Barrera and Per Asle Sara, who welcomed us over coffee and cake and shared their perspectives, and guided us through these important cultural spaces. Per Asle Sara is the head of Sámi Dáiddamagasiidna, and Pablo Barrera is its curator. Together with their colleague, they contribute to the care, development, and sharing of a remarkable collection of Sámi art and duodji. The collection holds around 1,600 works by more than 250 artists, from the 1800s to the present day. The collection is not only a record of artistic expression, but also a living resource for carrying knowledge between generations and strengthening the visibility of Sámi artists, histories, and perspectives. We were very impressed by their work and appreciated learning about the importance of caring for Sámi art through Sami-led perspectives.

At the Sámi Center for Contemporary Art (Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš), we visited IN(UK)DIGENOUS, an exhibition by Kalaaleq artist Julie Edel Hardenberg. Her work explores identity, colonial histories, and how colonialism continues to shape people’s experiences today. The exhibition invited us to reflect on how histories of colonisation remain present in our lives, identities, and relationships, and making space for Indigenous perspectives on these experiences. It offered also a meaningful opportunity to connect reflections across Sápmi, Kalaallit Nunaat, and Taiwan and to see how art can help speak to ongoing colonial realities, affirm Indigenous identities, and carry Indigenous stories and perspectives forward.

During our time in Kárášjohka (Karasjok), we also visited the Sámi Parliament of Norway (Sámediggi). The visit offered an opportunity to learn more about Sámi political representation and the ongoing work to strengthen Sámi rights, language, culture, and self-determination. As an Indigenous parliament, Sámediggi plays an important role in representing Sámi interests and working to ensure that Sámi voices and perspectives are heard in decisions that affect Sámi lives, lands, and futures.

We also came together for a screening of Ellos várit (La fjella leve) by Håvard Bustnes, thanks to Kajsa Møllersen, who invited us to join. The film opened up space for reflection on Sámi land, rights, and the ongoing struggles to protect Indigenous ways of life. Sharing that film across our different Indigenous contexts created a space to reflect together on land, identity, cultural continuity, and the ongoing struggles for Indigenous rights and self-determination.

Afterwards, Kristoffer and students from Sámi allaskuvla warmly welcomed us to share a memorable evening of conversation, connection, and friendship. These moments of coming together were key in Čakča skuvla, allowing relationships to grow through shared experiences and time spent together.

On the last day our journey also took us to Alta Museum, where our Birgejupmi colleague Nina Hermansen met part of our group and joined. We were grateful for her presence and for the opportunity to continue learning together.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who welcomed us, shared their knowledge and experiences, and made time for us. These relationships and exchanges are an important part of Birgejupmi’s ongoing commitment to learning with and from Indigenous peoples, strengthening connections across our communities, and nurturing learning spaces rooted in Indigenous knowledge, values, and ways of being.

Food, music, laughter, silence, solidarity and friendship

Čakča skuvla lived not only in the conversations we shared and the places we visited, but perhaps most importantly, in the everyday moments of being together — sharing meals, laughing around the table, talking late into the night, and finding comfort in the quiet moments when we simply enjoyed one another’s company.

Music, song, and food became important ways of sharing who we are and where we come from. We were grateful to Vava Isingkaunan (Chien, Chih-Lin) for sharing the sounds of the Bunun latuk, a traditional musical bow, and to Sauljaljuy Saljiljan (Song, Yao-Mei) for sharing beautiful songs from the Paiwan nation, carried by her extraordinary voice. Through music and song, we shared something of our cultures, our memories, and the places and people we carry with us.

Food brought us together in another way. On our final evening, Ayal Kulas (Pan, Ling-Chieh) invited us to share a meal he prepared with traditional foods from Taiwan. We were also fortunate to have Milan Pape Kuko, a young Kalaalleq chef, among us. Our tables brought together flavours and food traditions from our different homelands, including mattak and dried fish from Kalaallit Nunaat, brought by Malu, and Milan Andreas, Ralf, Naja, Vivi.

As we shared songs, prepared food, passed dishes around the table, and listened to one another’s stories, we brought our different Indigenous worlds into a shared space. These were more than moments of exchange. They were ways of caring for one another, sharing knowledge and traditions, and building relationships across our distinct cultures and communities. Through music, the taste of familiar foods, and the generosity of sharing what we carry from home, we found ways to connect and honour the distinct cultures, histories, and experiences each of us brought to Čakča skuvla. We felt all empowered that solidarity grows through time spent together, through listening, generosity, and the care we continue to show one another and also after this gathering comes to an end.

Giitu & qujanaq – thank you so much!

A heartfelt giitu & qujanaq to Samuel Valkeapää and Sámi allaskuvla for hosting us so warmly in Guovdageaidnu and making us feel welcome in Sápmi. We are grateful to the Sámi and Indigenous Education Conference organisers for creating opportunities to learn, listen, and exchange perspectives.

Above all, thank you to our students and every participant who travelled to Guovdageaidnu and brought their stories, experiences, questions, humour, and hopes into our shared space. Thank you for your openness, your trust, your curiosity, and the care you showed one another:
Sauljaljuy Saljiljan (Song, Yao-Mei) / NDHU
Chen, Po-Ting / NDHU
Ayal Kulas (Pan, Ling-Chieh) / NDHU
Vava Isingkaunan (Chien, Chih-Lin) / NDHU
Malu Arnaruluk Hendriksen / The Greenlandic House, ILIK programme
Milan Pape Kuko / The Greenlandic House, ILIK programme
Ralf Lindholm / The Greenlandic House
Andreas Willesen / The Greenlandic House
Naja Dyrendom Graugaard / University of Copenhagen
Vivi Vold / UiT
Wasiq Silan (Gao, I-An) / NDHU
Thora Herrmann /UOulu.

Above all, thank you for the relationships we began and strengthened together. We left with full hearts, carrying the generosity, conversations, and moments of connection that made this week so meaningful.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who welcomed us, met with us, and generously shared their knowledge, experiences, and time. Special thanks to:
• Linda Tuhiwai Smith, for sharing her profound knowledge and insights with such generosity, and for inspiring us to continue imagining and nurturing Indigenous-led education and futures.
• Asta Mitkijá Balto, for her wisdom, care, and guidance, and for the strength and generosity she brings to Birgejupmi as an elder and ethical advisor.
• Dine Fenger Lynge from Dáiddadállu – the Sámi Artist Network, for welcoming us to Dáiddadállu, sharing the inspiring work of the network and Sámi artists, and guiding us through the powerful Birgejupmi Through Art & Duodji exhibition. And of course, we love our Birgejupmi Through Art T-shirts!
• Lina Márjá Allas Karlsen, from Sámi allaskuvla’s Pathfinder Programme, for sharing her time and work with us.
• Eva Fjellheim, for the meaningful conversations and reflections we shared.
• Oddbjørg Heatta Sara, at the Sámi High School and Reindeer Husbandry School, for introducing us to the school and its work.
• The staff at Beaivváš Sámi National Theatre, for welcoming us and giving us a guided visit.
• Pablo Barrera and Per Asle Sara, for welcoming us, sharing inspiring perspectives, and guiding us through the Sámi Museum and Sámi Dáiddamagasiidna (the Sámi Art Collections Department).
• Everyone at the Sámi Center for Contemporary Art, for introducing us to IN(UK)DIGENOUS, an exhibition by Greenlandic artist Julie Edel Hardenberg that offered another opportunity to encounter Indigenous art and perspectives.
• Kajsa Møllersen, for inviting us to the screening of La fjella leve (Ellos várit) by Håvard Bustnes.
• Kristoffer and the students from Sámi allaskuvla, for warmly inviting us to join them after the screening for a memorable evening filled with connection, conversation, and friendship.
• Our Birgejupmi colleague Nina Hermansen, for meeting us in Alta and being part of our journey.

And to all the hosts, artists, educators, cultural workers, colleagues, and friends who contributed to making our time in Sápmi so meaningful: giitu & qujanaq!

The journey continues

Čakča skuvla marked an important moment in our ongoing journey of learning, sharing, and building relationships across Indigenous contexts and territories.
As we said our goodbyes, we carried with us the stories, conversations, laughter, shared meals, and friendships that had made our time together so meaningful. These reflections reminded us that the relationships we build are an essential part of how we learn, grow, and support one another across our Indigenous contexts.

And there is more to come. Čakča skuvla came to an end in Guovdageaidnu, but our journey together continues.
We look forward to meeting again for Part II in Copenhagen next spring. This next gathering will give us an opportunity to reconnect, continue the conversations we began in Sápmi, reflect on what we are carrying forward, and explore new possibilities for shared learning and collaboration.

The journey from Guovdageaidnu to Copenhagen is not simply a move from one place to another. It is a continuation of the relationships, questions, and ideas we have begun to nurture together.

Until then, we remain grateful to everyone who travelled with us, welcomed us, shared their knowledge, and helped create a space of care, generosity, and belonging.

Giitu & qujanarujussuaq — thank you so much with gratitude, care, and love, and with the hope of continuing this journey together.