Northland College Native American Studies program and Indigenous Cultures Center is bringing Sofia Jannok, a Swedish-side Sámi artist, singer, songwriter, actress, radio host, and activist for Indigenous rights, to campus the first week of October. She will be giving a public performance in Ashland, Wis., Monday, October 3.



ASHLAND, Wisc. — The Northland College Native American Studies program and Indigenous Cultures Center is bringing Sofia Jannok, a Swedish-side Sámi artist, singer, songwriter, actress, radio host and activist for Indigenous rights, to campus the week of Monday, October 3.

Combining her heritage with Swedish pop, she will give a public performance at the Presbyterian-Congregational Church, 214 Vaughn, Monday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. She will be joined by Northland College Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Russell Thorngate for part of the performance.

She is known, loved, and respected internationally in Indigenous circles, is acting on a debuting television program on Swedish National Television, and plays in regularly on major stages, such as the Riddu Riđđu Indigenous music festival in Gáivuotna and even the Swedish Royal Palace.

“I’ve known about Sofia’s work for years but I only got to know her personally since her visit to Minnesota last spring,” said Assistant Professor of Native American Studies Tim Frandy. “We were on a panel discussion together, and I helped arrange a visit for her to go to Lac du Flambeau. We’ve been in close contact since then.”

Jannok is coming now to build on the work set into motion at that time, strengthening Sámi relationships to Native American communities. 

This is part of a larger cross-institutional project between a variety of Swedish and Wisconsin academics, museums, cultural centers, and K-12 educational partners, called Past is Present, that focuses on heritage repatriation efforts in Indigenous communities. 

Jannok will be on campus October 3-5 visiting with classes, talking with staff at the Indigenous Cultures Center, meeting with the Native American Student Association, as well as partners from Red Cliff and Bad River.

She will be discussing best practices in heritage repatriation and exercising cultural and political sovereignty, in building international Indigenous support networks and in creating community and friendship across the continents.

In addition to her stop at Northland College, Jannok will be visiting the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota with a small group of Sámi musicians and activists, in a show of Sámi Solidarity with the Tribe and the Sacred Stone Camp.