PILE O´SÁPMI FIRST EDITION, FIRST TRIAL, INNER FINNMARK DISTRICT COURT, TANA, FEBRUARY 2016 200 raw reindeer heads installed outside the Inner Finnmark District Court, Tana, February 2016. Jovsset Ante Sara, the artists little brother goes into court to defend his reindeer, his traditional way of life, his livelihood and income, and his families ancient inherited rights. The Norwegian government has activated forced culling of the Sami peoples reindeer and they are forcing Jovsset Ante to slaughter his herd to 75 reindeer. Sara claims that this will force him to bankruptcy and thereby force him away from his traditional way of life, his culture and the families ancient inherited rights. The model for the forced culling is affecting great loss for many individuals, especially for the smallest reindeer herders such as the youth who are in the establishment phase. A whole society is affected, the recruitment of Sami reindeer herding is being efficiently strangled and a whole culture is threatened. Sister Maret Anne Sara piles reindeer heads outside the courthouse to get public awareness and debate around the situattion. Photo: Iris Egilsdatter

PILE O´SÁPMI-SUPREME, EIDSVOLLS PLASS OSLO, DECEMBER 2017 09 AM, as Jovsset Ante Sara entered the Norwegian Supreme Court, sister Máret Ánne Sara gathered artists and activists to Oslo and raised the Pile o´Sápmi-Supreme installation outside the Norwegian Parliament. The curtain made of 400 bullet ridden reindeer skulls, hung publicly in the power center of Norway during the two days of trial, as support for Jovsset Ante Sara and other reindeer sámis who end up with enormous burdens because of misappropriated policies. Also to signal to politicians and people that politics and law cannot freely be adjusted according to state interests, regardless of the people, culture and rights that the Sami people are entitled to in the same way as everyone else. Artist Maret Anne Sara is especially adressing the new colonial systematical practices taking place in fair democracies such as Norway. Photo: Matti Aikio

Pile o´Sápmi at Documenta 14, Kassel 2017. The piece of 400 bullet ridden reindeer heads, hung up as the Sámi flag, was later raised outside the Norwegian Parliament as Saras brother entered the Norwegian supreme court for the final decission of his case. After two victories and two serious verdicts stating abuse on the young reindeerherders human rights and indigenous rights, the Norwegian supreme court rejected the existing legal argumentations and went in favour of the States political arguments. Sara lost the case. Photo: Matti Aikio

Photo: Matti Aikio

Pile o´Sápmi installation made for the appeal trial at Hålogaland Appealcourt. Displayed outside the courthouse during two days of trial where Jovsset Ante Sara won his case for the second time, stating that the forced culling of his herd to 75 reindeers, violates his property rights protected by international human rights - and indigenous rights - the right to practice his culture. Photo: Matti Aikio

Installation of personal lassos from Sámi reindeer herders in the North Sámi region in North of Norway, 2018. In north Sámi the word giella means a snare-trap or it can mean a language to express yourself in. The word gielis refers to someone who does not speak or act truthfully. “Suohpan" the Sámi equivalent of lasso is a very personal, key item for Sámi reindeer herders, one of the most needed and reliable tools. The suohpan is always present. When not in use, it is worn across the herders heart. Suohpan is a tool for capturing, rescuing, playing, improving the skills or even to kill. I collect personal lassos from Sámi reindeer herders, because they represent individual stories of each of its owners from across the north Sámi region. The worn out lassos show as well the physical hardship of basic survival, relying on the untamed and natural. In my opinion, the choice of a traditional life in today's capitalistic and industrially expanding societies, is a deep personal, cultural and to some extent a spiritual commitment. This primitive tool is for me a strong image of the hardships of people living in and with the wild and natural, echoing a constant and accelerating battle against the growing capitalistic societies surrounding us with intentions of never ending “development” and growth, not compatible with sustainable thinking nor traditional livelihoods. This is a continuation of my long-term art project called Pile o´Sápmi, which was initiated to generate debate about new colonial practices in western, fair democracies such as Norway. I piled 200 hundred reindeer heads in front of the Norwegian court on a first day of my brother's trial against the Norwegian government in order to raise a critical voice against the indigenous affairs in Norway. Where state politics threaten Sámi livelihoods, lands and thereby our entire culture. Where current laws enforce devastation on a financial, cultural and on a spiritual level for individuals and community. Whereas the political structures have been my main subject in earlier works, in Gielastuvvon (Snared), I am addressing a more personal side of the story. As I witness the personal costs that we suffer only for defending our existence, as I feel the distress of losing life as we know it facing an unknown future, I feel a need to address the structural neglect of humanity in state politics and laws regarding our lives as indigenous and as people. I hang the lassos here in honour of our herders who are not only maintaining their reindeer but also a living Sámi culture. Secondly as a reminder of the fragility of culture, people and life. - Máret Ánne Sara, 2nd November, 2018.

Installation of personal lassos from Sámi reindeer herders in the North Sámi region in North of Norway, 2018. In north Sámi the word giella means a snare-trap or it can mean a language to express yourself in. The word gielis refers to someone who does not speak or act truthfully. “Suohpan" the Sámi equivalent of lasso is a very personal, key item for Sámi reindeer herders, one of the most needed and reliable tools. The suohpan is always present. When not in use, it is worn across the herders heart. Suohpan is a tool for capturing, rescuing, playing, improving the skills or even to kill. I collect personal lassos from Sámi reindeer herders, because they represent individual stories of each of its owners from across the north Sámi region. The worn out lassos show as well the physical hardship of basic survival, relying on the untamed and natural. In my opinion, the choice of a traditional life in today's capitalistic and industrially expanding societies, is a deep personal, cultural and to some extent a spiritual commitment. This primitive tool is for me a strong image of the hardships of people living in and with the wild and natural, echoing a constant and accelerating battle against the growing capitalistic societies surrounding us with intentions of never ending “development” and growth, not compatible with sustainable thinking nor traditional livelihoods. This is a continuation of my long-term art project called Pile o´Sápmi, which was initiated to generate debate about new colonial practices in western, fair democracies such as Norway. I piled 200 hundred reindeer heads in front of the Norwegian court on a first day of my brother's trial against the Norwegian government in order to raise a critical voice against the indigenous affairs in Norway. Where state politics threaten Sámi livelihoods, lands and thereby our entire culture. Where current laws enforce devastation on a financial, cultural and on a spiritual level for individuals and community. Whereas the political structures have been my main subject in earlier works, in Gielastuvvon (Snared), I am addressing a more personal side of the story. As I witness the personal costs that we suffer only for defending our existence, as I feel the distress of losing life as we know it facing an unknown future, I feel a need to address the structural neglect of humanity in state politics and laws regarding our lives as indigenous and as people. I hang the lassos here in honour of our herders who are not only maintaining their reindeer but also a living Sámi culture. Secondly as a reminder of the fragility of culture, people and life. - Máret Ánne Sara, 2nd November, 2018.