Antler spoon returns to Snåsa – historic return between Sámi museums

September 10 and 12, 2025, will be historic days for Sámi museums and Sámi culture field: A decorative antler spoon from the Southern Sámi region will be returned from the Sámi Museum Siida in Inari, Finland, to Saemien Sijte – the Southern Sámi museum and cultural center in Snåsa, Norway. This is the first return between two Sámi museums.

The antler spoon, which was a personal item attached to a belt, is engraved with the year 1893. The spoon was originally given to Finnish linguist Eliel Lagercrantz by Malena Torkelsen – also known as Aahka Meele – during his documentation trip in 1925. Malena was a well-known figure in the mountain regions of Snåsa and Lierne and lived in Snåsa during her adult life. Lagercrantz later sold the spoon to the National Museum of Finland in 1931. In 2021, the National Museum of Finland returned its entire collection of Sámi artifacts to the Sámi Museum Siida, and thus Malena’s spoon also ended up in Inari.

On Wednesday, September 10, Birgitta Fossum, director of Saemien Sijte, will travel to Inari to receive the spoon from Taina Máret Pieski, director of the Sámi Museum Siida, in an official handover ceremony at Siida.

– The return of our cultural heritage to its home is of great significance. We are delighted to be able to return the antler spoon to its home region, and we hope that it will convey its significance to current and future generations in the community, says Taina Máret Pieski, director of the Sámi Museum Siida.

On Friday, September 12, Saemien Sijte invites you to an open event in Snåsa, where the antler spoon and photographs from Lagercrantz’s documentation trip will be on display.

– This is an important milestone for the Southern Sámi community and Sámi museums in general. The object has great cultural and historical value, and we are proud to receive it, says Birgitta Fossum, director of Saemien Sijte.

The spoon is not only a personal possession, but also part of the history and identity of the Southern Sámi. Lagercrantz left behind detailed notes from his travels, in which he describes, among other things, 34 huts on a mountain farm in Snåsa and encounters with several Sámi people. This material is also very interesting to study.

The event will be held at Saemien Sijte on September 12 at 2:00 p.m. The press is welcome at 1:00 p.m.

Further information

Saemien Sijte

Museum Director Birgitta Fossum
Tel. +47 948 56 586
birgitta.fossum@saemiensijte.no

Curator Lisa Dunfjeld-Aagård
Tel. +47 940 17 021
lisa.dunfjeld-aagard@saemiensijte.no

Sámi Museum Siida

Museum Director Taina Máret Pieski
Tel. 050 5351574
taina.pieski@samimuseum.fi

Chief Curator Anni Guttorm
Tel. 0400 891 860
anni.guttorm@samimuseum.fi