The past catches up

The past catches up

For years, I have studied indigenous identity expressions in Southern Africa (Øvernes 2008). What about my own roots? The northern social landscape with Norwegians, Kvens and Sami people has been part of my social backdrop throughout life. The questions I ask about life on the other side of the globe, relates to my home. In the film The Past Catches Up, personal narratives and intersubjective moments build a story. Autoethnography develops through reflexive elements (Baarts 2012). The story of a few close to me guides my journey into questions on identity-formations found along the northern coastal strip.

The film The Past Catches Up implies critical reflection on a historical epoch in the north. In earlier national censuses from the 1800s and early 1900s, the state authorities noted citizens’ ethnicity. Kven, Norwegian and Sami were among the categories in use, as well as “blandet”. The latter referred to people of mixed ethnic decent and cultural origins. As I grew up, only the Norwegian heritage was recognized. How has this marked people? My film offers no answers, but triggers more questions. Jenkins (1996) claims internal and external validation form social identity. How has under-communication of the past inflicted on lives?