“Exposing Yourself a Second Time”: Visual Repatriation in Scandinavian Sápmi

Abstract Like many other indigenous peoples, the Sami were represented in anthropological photographs that were thought to record scientific data about their "race." This article addresses four case studies from Scandinavian Sápmi in which Sami individuals use photographs drawn from anthropological collections to bring forth counternarratives to "official" history, ensuring personal and community continuity through a form of active remembering. I argue for the reading of these case studies through the frame of visual repatriation. What is repatriated in these initiatives is not necessarily the physical photographs themselves but rather elements of history, memory, and identity that are associated with the images. Many indigenous peoples were forcibly disconnected from their own histories through forms of colonization. These Sami initiatives highlight how a connection to historical photographs that contain traces of a difficult past can be empowering. The study reinforces the importance of access to and control of these collections for source communities.