Sámi Feminism and Activism in Ann-Helén Laestadius’ Novel Stöld

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article examines the thematization of (intersectional indigenous) feminist criticism and activism in the novel Stöld (2021), written by the Sámi-Tornedalian-Swedish author Ann-Helén Laestadius. The novel depicts life in a small town in Sápmi, where reindeer herders are strongly affected by the brutal killings of their animals and the lack of legal security they experience. A central motif in the novel is the resistance to this discrimination through the characters Elsa’s and Minna’s Sámi and feminist activism. The first part of the analysis examines their common Sámi causes and activist strategies; and the second focuses on the critique of gender norms within the minoritized reindeer herding society, and investigates the gendered attitudes towards their activism. Finally, I discuss the ways in which the novel functions as literary activism. In sum, the book shows that it requires the effort of several women acting across generations through various institutions such as the police, the media, and the judicial system to create change.