Who has the right to the story of the North? The title “Who Owns the Kommag Shoes? (kommag shoes meaning traditional sami shoes)” is not really about leather and stitching, but a metaphor for the deep tensions that arise when two minorities try to find their place in a landscape shaped by the aftereffects of Norwegianization. 

For centuries, Sámi and Kven people have lived side by side. They have shared everyday life, hardship and traditions, and the boundaries between them have often been fluid. But in today’s struggles for revitalization and recognition, difficult questions emerge: What is considered “originally” Sámi, and what is Kven? Can cultural heritage be shared without one group’s history becoming invisible? 

In this panel discussion, we take on the difficult conversation about the relationship between Sámi and Kven communities. We explore what happens when two groups, both historically marginalized by the majority society, collide in the struggle for recognition and the power to define their own narratives. 

Is there room for two truths to exist at the same time? And how can we talk about what we share without it feeling like a loss of identity for the other? 

Welcome to an honest conversation about who we have become to one another once the dust of historical injustice has settled – neighbors, competitors, or allies? 

Language: Norwegian. 

Panelists to be announced soon.