News

Umeå has been officially confirmed as the host city for the Arctic Arts Summit 2026, marking the fourth iteration of this important circumpolar arts, culture, and policy gathering! Led by the professional Sámi cultural network Viermie K in partnership with the Swedish Arts Council and Umeå Municipality, the Summit will take place June 15-18, 2026. Located in Sápmi territory, Umeå brings strong credentials as a 2014 European Capital of Culture with robust cultural institutions and a commitment to Arctic Indigenous representation. The city’s foundational pillars of culture, research, and Indigenous peoples align perfectly with the Summit’s mission of strengthening Arctic arts while building cross-border connections in challenging geopolitical times.

A formal transition of hosting duties for the Arctic Arts Summit took place in Ottawa at the National Gallery of Canada on February 27-28, 2025, with Canada passing the torch to Sweden! This two-day event brought together a Swedish delegation from Viermie K, the Swedish Arts Council, Umeå Municipality, Region Västerbotten, and Såhkie (Umeå Sami Association) with Canadian cultural leaders. The program included an official ceremony at the National Gallery of Canada where speakers including Steven Loft, Michelle Chawla, and Kajsa Ravin reaffirmed the importance of Indigenous leadership and collaboration in the Summit’s future. Following the ceremonial aspects, practical workshops at the Canada Council for the Arts provided the incoming hosts with valuable insights from Whitehorse’s 2022 Summit experience, helping to build momentum and lay groundwork for the 2026 gathering in Umeå.

Sámi artist Máret Ánne Sara  (b. 1983) has won the prestigious Hyundai Commission at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, marking a watershed moment for circumpolar Indigenous representation in major art institutions. Ánne Sara, whose work gained international acclaim at the 2022 Venice Biennale where she contributed to the first-ever Sámi Pavilion, creates powerful installations that confront colonial legacies and environmental challenges facing Sámi communities. Born into a reindeer herding family in Guovdageaidnu, Norway, the Turbine Hall’s monumental scale and global visibility offers an unprecedented platform and opportunity to address the complex tensions between environmental initiatives and traditional land rights—where clean energy projects sometimes come at the expense of reindeer herding territories and Sámi Indigenous ways of life. On view from October 2025 to April 2026, this landmark commission positions Sara’s Indigenous perspective within a space previously transformed by art world luminaries like Olafur Eliasson and Ai Weiwei, potentially reshaping conversations about climate and social justice through a Sámi lens.

The annual Ubmejen Biejvieh festival returns to Umeå this March as part of Sámi Culture Week, organized by Såhkie – Umeå Sami Association and centered on “bualvaste bualvvije” (from knee to knee) – the vital transfer of knowledge across Sámi generations. This 25th year celebration features an exciting program including a screening of Ever Deadly co-directed by Inuit artist Tanya Tagaq; the 6th Sami Culture Policy Summit; discussions on challenges facing Sámi communities; a seminar on museum repatriation of Sámi remains; and information about the upcoming Arctic Arts Summit coming to Umeå in June 2026! Founded in 1977, Såhkie safeguards and promotes Sami interests, with members including both Sami people and supporters. Beyond organizing this annual festival, the association operates the cultural center Tráhppie year-round, providing a permanent space for Sami cultural activities and education in the region.