Abstract Gunilla Larsson
The paper focus on the question about how colonization of the Sámi areas has shaped and reshaped social and gender relations, especially in the Forest Sámi society. Based on archaeological and historical material, in combination with Old Norse sources and later ethnological documentation, the changed role and status of Sámi women during the last millennium is discussed. The research has focused on three research areas in Swedish Sápmi, of which two are situated in Lule river valley in northern Sweden, and one is situated in Hälsingland in the middle of Sweden, The paper will also shed light on the consequences for the Sámi women of the deportations of Sámi from the middle of Sweden in the 17th and 18th centuries, both for the Sámi women who were forced to move, and those who were allowed to stay as wives to men employed as so called “Parish Laps”. All earlier studies of the latter have only focused on these men, invisibilising the important role of the women in the Sámi society. My research results shows, that the women have had a leading role in the Forest Sámi society, and have been representing the continuity on the “skatteland” ‘tax district’. These lands were old family territories of extended family groups, the so called sit, often consisting of two to three families. The right to the land and property was inherited equally among sons and daughters, according to old, traditional Sámi jurisdiction. When Sámi men married, they often moved to the land of their wives and changed the family name to that of their wives families. When Sápmi was colonized, Swedish jurisdiction and regional Swedish courts replaced the earlier Sámi courts. Here it will be discussed, how the role and status of Sámi women changed within this framework of Swedish administration and legislation, which was imposed on the Sámi society. In the paper will also be considered resilience and resistance against the resulting, growing inequalities, led by early female Sámi leaders as Elsa Laula and Karin Stenberg.

2007 Doctor of Philosophy 3/3 2007 Uppsala University. Title of dissertation ”Ship and Society. Maritime Ideology in Late Iron Age Sweden.”, supervisor Professor Ola Kyhlberg, assistant supervisor Ph.D. Svante Norr. Researcher at Uppsala university. 2012-2013, 2014-2015: Research projects on retracing Sámi history on the base of the ancient monuments, in cooperation with May-Britt Öhman on Center for Gender Studies, Uppsala University in her research project” DAMMED: Security, Risk and Resilience around the dams of Sub-Arctica” and the project ” Rivers, Resistance Resilience: Sustainable futures in Sápmi and other indigenous peoples’ territories”. 2017-2019: Participation in Katarina Pirak Sikkus project Uppsala University “To Give me my perspective. The traces of Race Biology in Sámi society”. Since 2018 participating in May-Britt Öhmans research project “Indigenous perspectives on climate change”, Center for multidisciplinary research on racism, Uppsala University

Only one author.

I am not sure which stream may be most appropriate for my paper, so You are free to Place it where You Think it may be best.