Youngest Skolt Sámi representative aims to revive village meetings

Irene Fofonoff, 30, has been chosen as the youngest-ever representative of the Skolt Sámi people and will lead their centuries-old village meeting from next year, Yle reports. She is the second woman to hold the role.

Fofonoff returned to her home region this year after living in a city for several years. She was elected unopposed in the autumn, but initially wondered whether she would receive support as a young woman.

Many of those who backed her candidacy were older people. “It means a lot to me that older people believed in me and thought I could do this work,” she said. “The more I thought about the role, the more I realised I have experience.”

Fofonoff grew up in Saittijärvi, near the village of Sevettijärvi. She attended a Skolt Sámi language nest and went to school in Sevettijärvi, where the language and culture were still strongly present in the 2000s. She remembers traditional performers and craftspeople passing their skills on to younger generations.

Concerns about the future of the small community have persisted, she said. As a child, she remembers discussions about whether the village school should close because there were too few pupils. Similar worries remain, including whether enough people will stand for the representative role and attend meetings. “Still, we continue to have this system,” she said.

Kauko Feodoroff, 82, remembers a time when village elders led the Skolt Sámi administrative body. After the world wars, the community began electing its representative. Feodoroff said the role helped Skolt Sámi people build a new life and home after displacement. “A lot has changed, but it is good that we still have the Skolt Act and a person who handles our official affairs,” he said.

Inari student Helmi Ljetoff welcomed having a young Skolt Sámi representative promoting the culture and language. She said a stronger voice for young people could help them learn the language and return to the Skolt Sámi region.

Fofonoff plans to work for more resources for village meetings and the Skolt Sámi Cultural Foundation. She also wants to advance the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, working mainly with authorities. Her priority, she said, is to serve people in both Skolt Sámi settlement areas: Sevettijärvi-Näätämö and Keväjärvi-Nellim.

She considers the village meeting an important institution and wants to meet people across the community.