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Moa Backe Åstot’s first novel is a depiction of a young man in a reindeer herding country. Eva Wahlström has read.
Much is being written about Sápmi at the moment. Literature and cinema shape a part of our history that is not at all flattering for the Swedish state. It is shocking and horrifying how much of the abuse that has taken place against the Sami has been silenced and how little is conveyed in the writing of Swedish school history. It has been an unspeakable mix of contempt and exoticism. But now it seems that something has happened and the silence seems to be broken.
Moa Backe Åstot’s debut “Himlabrand” is part of the new chorus of voices writing about the Sami in a changing present. In the life of the boy Ánte, the Sami tradition is strong, of course he will be the only son of the family who will take over the work with the reindeer. But then something changes, he begins to feel something more, something more than friendship with his best friend Erik. It is a painful process and does not become less difficult to develop in a youthful male environment. Ante hears the derogatory words of old men about fools and then understands, understandably, with their feelings. But in the end, he still has to face his life and assert himself.
On one level, the book is an “emerging developmental novel,” like so many other teen books. What makes the book special is that it confronts heritage, family traditions, and ancient historical ties that bind us to place and way of life. Everything that even Ánte is passionate about contrasts with the desire to break free and dare to be who he really is. Can a Sami be gay?
By chance, Ànte comes across a book on racial biology with horrible photographs of naked Sami and skull measurements that took place to this day.
An adolescent life with orphans, kisses and drunkenness is contrasted with lyrical representations of nature: “The bark of the pine creaked against the hat. The snow began to harden, the moisture trying to penetrate through the jumpsuit. The cold hit my cheeks. At night the whole forest was frozen, the reindeer were the only thing that was warm. “
By chance, Ànte comes across a book on racial biology with horrible photographs of naked Sami and skull measurements that took place up to our time.
Although the story has been told to me several times before, it is no less horrible. On the contrary, I realize with disgust how the image with which it is almost inherited is etched in memory. Wild romance, cabins, reindeer, and colorful clothing have been around since elementary school and luckily there will be new stories from Sápmi. Also descriptions that cling to tradition and dare to question the norms. The downside is that the state colonization of Sápmi has never completely stopped. In both reality and fiction, the boundaries are slightly modified.
