Finnish artificial lakes forced 600 to evacuate homes in the 60s and 70s, Sámi language revival underway in displaced community
Ristenrauna Magga, a young wife, had recently moved to her husband’s home in the village of Laiti, in the western part of Sodankylä, Finland, when artificial lake projects began to be implemented in the area. In the 1960s and 1970s, a total of 600 people were forced to leave their homes as the state planned to build Lokka and Porttipahta artificial lakes for electricity production. Like many other villages, Magga’s new home was completely submerged under an artificial lake.
Magga struggled to find her place within her community. She never had time to settle into her husband’s home before it was time to move to Vuotso, in the northern part of Sodankylä. She felt like an outsider, as she was originally from Enontekiö and didn’t belong anywhere. People around her had to start their lives from scratch, and the social network they were accustomed to was completely shattered.
Magga and her husband, like other evacuees, began to build a new house in the village of Vuotso. Amidst the life-changing upheaval, she noticed that the relocated Sámi community in Vuotso suffered another significant loss: the Sámi language was no longer spoken, and conversations shifted to Finnish in their new home environment.
Decades after the construction of the artificial lakes, Magga has been working closely with the people of her old home village. She heads the national Sámi social and health organization SámiSoster, known for its diverse advocacy work. Residents contacted her expressing that they have never had the opportunity to come together and process past events when they were evacuated due to the artificial lakes.
To provide a gathering place for the small village, SámiSoster and the Vuotso Sámi community established Mokta-tupa, a community center entirely for the villagers. The initiative is funded by Kemijoki Oy, the hydroelectric power company that led the construction of the artificial lakes.
Today, the Sámi language is reviving in the Sámi village. A language nest operates in Vuotso, and students can attend school in the Sámi language. Hopefully, the residents will also participate in planning cooperation and future events.