The emphasis of the exhibition is on subsistence such as hunting, fishing, farminganimal husbandry and not least reindeer pastoralism, which is a Sámi speciality. It has therfore been given large space in the exhibition.
The exhibition also deals with some important features of earlier times, such as pre-Christian religion. A large costume collection reflects the diversity of Sámi culture, with garments from North, East, Lule and South Sámi areas.
A separate section of the exhibition deals with the more recent conditions in Sápmi/Sámi territory, with glimpses of the Alta controversy around 1980, the establishment of the Sami Parliament in 1989, and new cultural expressions in literature, music, film and theater.
Bååstede
Bååsetde ("return" in the south Sami language) ia a prject initiated in 2007 started in 2009 and formally ended in 2022. The Background for the project is the right to manage one's owncultural heritage according to national and international indigenous law, conventions, and museum ethics guidelines.
The project is a collaborative project between the Norsk Folkemuseum, the Museum of Cultural History/ Univ. Oslo, the Sámi Parliament, the Sami museum Association and the six consolidated Sami museums in Norway.
Through the project, full legal ownership og more than 1,600 objects was transferred to the Sami museums in 2019.
