Pielpajärvi Church is one of the oldest built heritage sites in northern Finland and an internationally significant monument of wooden architecture. On Tuesday, 2 December 2025, the Sámi Museum Siida will publish the first extensive, trilingual research publication dedicated to Pielpajärvi Church. The book is edited by Professor Panu Savolainen, Chair of Architectural History at Aalto University, and authored by several experts in architectural history, cultural heritage studies and art history. The publication brings together the latest research findings and previously unpublished visual material.

Pielpajärvi Church was built in the late 1750s in a Sámi winter village as the parish church of Inari. It was abandoned in the 1890s when the parish centre was relocated to the mouth of Juutua River. Today, it is a popular site for weddings and a well-known historical attraction, reflecting both Sámi and Christian traditions.

The new publication released by the Sámi Museum Siida presents the history, architecture and cultural significance of the church in a scope and depth not previously compiled in a single volume. The trilingual work (Finnish–English–Inari Sámi) serves both as an accessible guide for general readers and as a scholarly resource for professionals in the field of built heritage. The book is based on a research project funded by the Lapland Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation and Kone Foundation (2021–2022), which examined archival sources on the church’s construction history and carried out extensive building-archaeological documentation. Since 2023, the architectural firm Livady has carried out additional research commissioned by the Parish of Inari.

The book’s extensive illustrations consist largely of previously unpublished material. Among them is a recently discovered 1885 photograph from the collections of the University of Florence – the oldest known image of Pielpajärvi Church – as well as new photogrammetric measurements.

The book opens with a chapter by Panu Savolainen, who contextualises the architectural history of the church and examines archival sources related to its construction. Articles by Marko Huttunen and Pauliina Saarinen discuss the church’s restoration history from the 20th century onwards, documentation, structures and the building process. Suvi Toivanen’s chapter explores the carvings on the interior walls and visitor inscriptions from the perspective of cultural heritage studies. Tuomas Ranta-aho provides an overview of the photogrammetric documentation carried out in 2021. Päivi Magga and Miina Tolonen examine the architectural and cultural heritage values of the church. The book concludes with a personal reflection on Pielpajärvi Church by Tuomo Huusko, vicar of Inari.

Inarin Pielpajärven erämaakirkko – Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church in Inari – Aanaar Piälppáájäävri meccikirkko. Ed. Panu Savolainen. Authors: Marko Huttunen, Tuomo Huusko, Päivi Magga, Tuomas Ranta-aho, Pauliina Saarinen, Panu Savolainen, Suvi Toivanen and Miina Tolonen. Inari Saami translation by Saammâl Morottaja.

Further information: Prof. Panu Savolainen, Aalto University, panu.savolainen@aalto.fi, +358 50 475 6727.

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

Sámi Museum Siida is carrying out a community-based project to explore how best to make returned Sámi objects part of living Sámi culture. The grant continues the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s long-standing support for the Sámi culture and languages.

Items belonging to the Sámi culture have been collected for European museums and research institutes since the 17th century, and the looting of Sámi graves for research purposes continued into the 20th century. Around 50,000 Sámi objects are still held in museum collections around Europe.

Today, the way museums have historically acquired their collections is being criticised. By what right were items collected and to whom do they belong?

The Sámi Museum Siida has worked towards the repatriation of Sámi cultural material for decades. In 2021, the National Museum of Finland returned more than 2,200 objects from its Sámi collection to Siida, and repatriation processes are currently underway with a number of European museums. Siida has received several international awards for its work, including the Europa Nostra Award 2022 and the titles of European Museum of the Year and Finnish Museum of the Year 2024.

The Finnish Cultural Foundation granted €850,000 to Siida’s three-year project Ellos min árbi! (Long Live Our Cultural Heritage!), which involves studying and developing a Sámi way of processing the repatriation of objects together with the community. The aim is to publish the knowledge and research results gained to benefit other indigenous museums. The project will also result in the travelling exhibition Máhccan – Homecoming, research articles, a guide on best practices, a podcast series and an international conference on repatriation.

Information about the previous owners and historical use of the returned objects will be collected in workshops. These workshops will provide Sámi communities with the opportunity to connect with the objects their ancestors used by reminiscing about and studying them and by giving them new meanings. Through this community-based provenance research, the knowledge and skills associated with the objects will be once more restored as part of living Sámi culture.

In other words, the repatriation of objects involves more than just moving them from one place to another. It is a symbolic process that reinforces the continuity of Sámi identity and culture.

“The Finnish Cultural Foundation has previously supported Siida in the redesign of its main exhibition. Now, Siida is launching a new and significant opening in museum practice, linking the repatriation of objects to community knowledge as an active process. This means that museum pieces are physically, culturally and spiritually restored as part of living culture,” says Susanna Pettersson, CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

“We want to explore and develop a Sámi way of researching and repatriating objects and carrying out community work. If successful, our project will provide new knowledge and experience of repatriation that will benefit other indigenous peoples and the museum scene as a whole,” says Taina Máret Pieski, Museum Director of the Sámi Museum Siida.

Sámi Museum Siida is located in the town of Inari. It is a national museum responsible for its special field, Sámi culture, and a regional museum responsible for tasks concerning cultural environments in the Sámi Area.

Further information

Taina Máret Pieski

Museum Director of the Sámi Museum Siida

+358 50 535 1574

tainamaret.pieski@samimuseum.fi

Susanna Petterson

CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation

susanna.pettersson@skr.fi

Joint Press Release by the Sámi Museum Siida and Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland

Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland and the Sámi Museum Siida have agreed that all exhibition activities at Siida will be transferred entirely under the museum’s administration. The change will take effect in July 2025.

Located in Inari, Siida has operated since 1998 as both the Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre. Its main exhibition, Enâmeh láá mii párnááh – These Lands Are Our Children, presents Sámi culture and the nature of Northern Lapland. The exhibition was renewed between 2020 and 2022 in cooperation between the Sámi Museum and Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland and has received widespread acclaim. In 2024, the Sámi Museum and Northern Lapland Nature Centre Siida was named Museum of the Year in Finland, and the Sámi Museum was also recognized as European Museum of the Year.

With the new agreement, the administration, costs, and revenues of the exhibition activities – including ticket sales – will be fully transferred to the Sámi Museum Siida. This change applies to both the main exhibition and the two spaces for temporary exhibitions. Until now, ticket revenues have been shared between Metsähallitus and the Sámi Museum.

The transfer of exhibition activities aligns with the aim of Parks & Wildlife Finland to focus more clearly on its core duties – nature conservation and providing outdoor recreation services – in response to a changing funding landscape.

“Metsähallitus’ nature content will remain a part of the main exhibition. Additionally, Parks & Wildlife Finland will continue to operate customer service and maintain facilities at Siida, which will remain unchanged,” says Service Owner Katja Heikkinen from Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland.

As a result of this change, the name “Siida” will be used solely by the Sámi Museum.

“This change gives the Sámi Museum even better opportunities to present Sámi culture and art in Siida’s exhibitions. However, the museum’s facility costs will increase, which is why we need support from the state,” says Museum Director Taina Máret Pieski.

The Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida achieved historic visitor numbers in 2024. According to statistics, Siida’s events and exhibitions attracted over 82,000 visitors, more than 20 percent higher than the previous record of 68,000 set in 2023. July was especially busy, with a record-breaking 14,000 monthly exhibition visitors.

In addition to exhibitions, visitors actively utilized Siida’s other services, such as Metsähallitus’ Upper Lapland Nature Centre customer service, tourist information point, Restaurant Sarrit, and the museum shop Siida Shop. Door counters recorded an impressive total of 140,000 visitors to Siida throughout the year.

“We are grateful that the joint exhibition by the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida, Enâmeh láá mii párnááh – These Lands Are Our Children, has resonated with visitors and been recognized with the Museum of the Year Award by the Finnish Museum Association,” says Kirsi Ukkonen, Senior Specialist at the Upper Lapland Nature Centre Siida.

“Our exhibition highlights the close connection between nature and culture, emphasizing the importance of preserving both for future generations. We sincerely thank all exhibition visitors for their support,” Ukkonen adds.

The success of 2024 was significantly influenced by the Sámi Museum’s European Museum of the Year Award and the Museum of the Year Award granted by the Finnish Museum Association and ICOM Finland. These accolades boosted interest, particularly after May, leading to a substantial increase in exhibition ticket purchases compared to previous years. Traditionally quieter months, such as April-May and October-November, also saw a clear uptick in activity.

Of the visitors, 37 percent were Finnish, and 63 percent were international. Among international visitors, Germans and French were the most represented. Overall, Siida welcomed individuals from 110 different nationalities during the year. Group travelers accounted for approximately 30 percent of visitors, consistent with previous years. Additionally, a record-breaking 455 guided tours were organized.

“It is heartening to see Sámi culture gaining widespread international interest. The museum’s awards have further heightened this attention. However, our most important work takes place beyond large visitor numbers, in community-based efforts with the Sámi people,” says Taina Máret Pieski, Director of the Sámi Museum.

The year 2024 was remarkable for the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida in many ways, demonstrating the profound impact of showcasing the connection between nature and culture. Siida will continue its work to provide high-quality, memorable experiences while raising awareness of Sámi culture and the unique features of the northern natural environment.

More information: Head of marketing, Taija Aikio, taija.aikio(at)samimuseum.fi, +35840 484 7329

This week, the Sámi Museum Siida is hosting a delegation from Upopoy, the National Ainu Museum and Park, in Hokkaido, Japan. During the visit, the Ainu Culture Foundation and the Sámi Museum are renewing their partnership agreement, which aims to promote cultural collaboration between Indigenous peoples, including through museum exhibitions and staff exchanges.

The Sámi Museum has collaborated with Japan’s Indigenous people, the Ainu, since the 1980s. During that time, reciprocal visits were organized between the Ainu Museum in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, and the Sámi Museum in Inari, along with Sámi Radio and the Sámi Delegation. In 1984, the Ainu Folk Museum and the Sámi Museum in Inari signed a declaration of partnership and friendship to advance the “study and preservation of our cultures, histories, and identities.”

This week, the Sámi Museum in Inari is hosting Noriyuki Abe, Senior Deputy Director of Upopoy, Hikaru Jono from the Ainu Culture Foundation, Masahiro Nomoto, Vice President, and Yomaru Yamamichi, a craftsman from the National Ainu Museum and Park, along with interpreter Mio Yachita. The purpose of the visit is to renew the partnership agreement and strengthen collaboration, especially between museum organizations. The visitors will also tour the renewed Sámi Museum and its exhibitions.

The Ainu are an Indigenous people of Japan whose traditional homelands are located on the northern island of Hokkaido, as well as in the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. The Upopoy Center, located on the shore of Lake Poroto in Hokkaido, serves as the national center for the revitalization and development of Ainu culture. In the Ainu language, “Upopoy” means “singing together in a large group.” Upopoy consists of the National Ainu Museum and Park, where Ainu culture is preserved and showcased. The center also includes a Memorial Area with facilities for commemorative ceremonies and the preservation of Ainu ancestral remains that were previously excavated for research purposes from various universities and have since been returned.

More information: Museum director, Taina Máret Pieski, taina.pieski(at)samimuseum.fi,Tel. 050 5351574

The Chairperson of the Sámi Museum Foundation Veikko Feodoroff, Museum Director Taina Máret Pieski and the Mayor of the Inari municipality Tommi Kasurinen hosted the presidential visit. Also, the Sámi Museum’s curators Marjo-Riitta Rantamäki and Konsta Verta participated in the occasion.

Thank you, the President of the Republic of Finland, for honoring us with your presence in Enare and for showing interest towards Sámi culture!

Image: Konsta Verta / Saamelaismuseo Siida

The Museum of the Year 2024 award was presented today, May 23, at the Museum Award Gala organized by the Finnish Museums Association and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in Jyväskylä.

The Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida has become the most significant visitor destination and tourist attraction in Northern Lapland. Our exhibition, “Enâmeh láá mii párnááh – These Lands Are Our Children,” which opened in 2022 in the expanded and renovated Siida building, has been a success. The new joint exhibition, the repatriation work carried out by the Sámi Museum, and community collection work have significantly advanced the national and international societal visibility and impact of the museum field.

We are very happy and satisfied that the diverse work of the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida for Sámi cultural heritage and northern nature has received the most significant recognition in the Finnish museum sector.

“The award for the wonderful and heartfelt work belongs to the entire staff of the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida and to all those who have participated in the exhibition and renovation projects over the past years. The Sámi Museum especially wants to thank the Sámi community, which has participated in the exhibition renewal, repatriation work, and community work, and supported the museum’s work,” said chief curator Eija Ojanlatva, accepting the award on behalf of the Sámi Museum.

“We at Metsähallitus highly value the more than 25 years of cooperation between the Nature Centre and Sámi Museum at Siida. It has taken us far, and together we have been pioneers. When the first exhibition opened, the joint exhibition of the two organizations was the first of its kind. In our new exhibition, we created a new way of storytelling by using art in our displays. The concept of combining two exhibition scripts into one still works,” rejoices Kirsi Ukkonen, a special expert in recreational use at Metsähallitus.

“This is a significant recognition alongside the European Museum of the Year award. We hope that these awards will also be reflected in the appreciation and funding of Sámi Museum Siida’s national work,” says museum director Taina Pieski.

The new exhibition at the Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida has been a success, as we have surpassed previous visitor records. Since the reopening, we have had 226,000 visitors in a year and a half, with nearly 120,000 of them visiting our exhibition. Over half of our exhibition visitors are international guests.

In addition to Sámi Museum and Northern Lapland Nature Centre Siida, four other museums competed for the award: Chappe Contemporary Art Museum in Raseborg, the Luostarinmäki Museum Quarter in Turku, the Finnish Forest Museum Lusto in Punkaharju, and the Museum Centre Konsti in Varkaus. The award was presented for the tenth time.

Giitu! Takkâ! Späʹsseb! Kiitos!

For more information:
Museum Director Taina Pieski, taina.pieski(at)samimuseum.fi, +358 50 5351574
Special Expert in Recreational Use Kirsi Ukkonen, kirsi.ukkonen(at)metsa.fi, +358 400 479 986

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/siidainari/albums/72177720317204179