When we were Sami

Gåssie Jonssonen Matsen áhtjájjá jábmá die fuölkkie vuastas bálien dab måskuoke jah biähtuotum skáhpuob rahppá juhkka leä intán ståbuosne gåvnname. Dan sissnie leäh miärkanvïhttanisgirjjie, prievvie sámienfugddaste Västerbottesne jah gåvvah rárkuovijste. Die bïjkuotuvva ahttie Mats båhtá lüvletjemádduoste Málágen dáhvuosne. Man dehte lij tjiäguosne urrame? Man dehte hejten sámien urruot? Jah man dehte däjrren dan unnieb sïjjan hïsturjan bïjrra? Tjaktjane 2024 Västerbottenteahtere jah Åarjelhsaemien teatere akttane hásateäh Jonssonen Matsen rájrruorománub Gåssie lijmeh sámieh – ubmejesámien jah dáruongiälane.

When Mats Jonsson's grandfather dies, the family opens for the first time the sealed and forbidden sweep box that has always been in the home. There are reindeer mark certificates, letters from the Lapp bailiff in Västerbotten County and photos from reindeer separations. It turns out that Mats comes from a family of forest Sami in the Malå region. Why has it been secret? Why did they stop being Sami? And why do they know so little about their history? During the fall of 2024, Västerbottensteatern, in collaboration with Åarjelhsaemien teatere, will stage the serial novel När vi var Samer by Mats Jonsson - with Ume Sami and Swedish as stage languages.

Gåssie lijmeh sámieh leä hïsturjjasubtsas sliektien gelletjuöhtiejáhpásadtje dåruon bïjrra várjjalit sïjjan vuögieb viässuot, jah giäŋkalis gåvva Matsen áhtjájjáste juhkka tjuavvarij njuarranit. Nåvváj leä mujttalis juhkka åhppate sámien hïsturjub Sverjesne máb skuvlla ij leäh mïjjáje vaddáme.

"When we were Sami" is a chronicle of a family's centuries-old struggle to preserve their way of life, and a sympathetic portrait of Mat's grandfather who finally has to give up. It is also an educational depiction of Sami history in Sweden that the school has never managed to give us.

In the performance, we get to follow Mat's search back in time, among small and large events such as influences us to this day, but also on his personal journey into a new Sami identity. The action jumps between "then and now" and humor has an important place in the story.

The ensemble consists of five actors who portray both Mats and the generations that have gone before him, and the visual and musical language tie together now and then in this strong performance of reclaiming their history.