Samiska arkiv och tillgänglighet : En analys av tillgängligheten till arkiv med samisk relevans i Sverige

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this essay is to analyze accessibility too Sámi archives in Sweden today. A new proposal to change the archival legislation in Sweden was published 2019 but have not yet become effective. The proposal highlights that the archives’ purpose is access and that the Sámi archives are an important part of the cultural heritage. Recently, in 2023, a new search portal – Nuohtti - for digital Sámi archival materials was launched. The search portal links Sámi materials not just from Sápmi but all of Europe. The portal is managed jointly by the state archives in Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Both Norway and Finland have a state Sámi archive but in Sweden no one has that responsibility, Sámi archives are scattered at different institutions both governmental and privet ones. Grounded in postmodern archival theory and based on the theoretical perspectives: Power, knowledge, representation, and provenance this essay examines the concept of access too Sami archives and the possibilities and challenges that may arise. The study was conducted whit a qualitative research method using content analysis and semi-structured interviews. The source material consists of governmental reports, information material from the archives, debate articles, interviews, and the search portal Nuohtti.I interviewed three archivists at two archives. One interview with an archivist from the state archive Riksarkivet and one interview with two archivists from the Sami archive at Ájtte museum in Jokkmokk. The results show that a challenges with making Sámi archives accessible includes the lack of a state Sámi archive that gathers both archives and Sámi knowledge. It also shows that how Sámi archives are accessible is important both online and physical. The context to the records and ethical consideration is important to consider when making Sámi archives accessible. The new search portal Nuotti takes much of the difficulties into account and makes access easier to a wider audience.