Sari Saxholm: The Fiddle That Brought Her Home to Sevettijärvi
Living in Helsinki, Sari Saxholm keeps her Sami roots alive through the accordion and dance. But lately, a fiddle has called her back to her homeland.
The air in Sevettijärvi is different from what you find in Helsinki. It carries the scent of pine needles and frozen lakes, a place where time seems to move slightly slower than the frantic pace of city life. For Sari Saxholm, an accordion player living in the capital, this feeling is both a comfort and a summons. She is one of the few Kolttasaami, a distinct branch of the Sami people whose history stretches across northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. Roots in Rhythm Sari maintains her connection to her heritage through music and movement. In Helsinki, she dances the Katril , a traditional Sami dance, and plays the accordion with a devotion that rivals any professional musician. Yet, these activities are not just hobbies; they are lifelines. They keep the fire of her ancestors burning bright in a modern metropolis where such traditions can sometimes feel like distant echoes rather than living realities. "Katrillitanssi ja harmonikan soitto ovat Helsingissä asuvalle Sari Saxholmille tapoja joilla ylläpitää omia saamelaisjuuria." Translation: The Katril dance and playing the accordion are ways for Sari Saxholm, who lives in Helsinki, to maintain her own Sami roots. A New Call from the North Recently, however, the pull has shifted. While the accordion provides a steady rhythm in the city, a fiddle has begun to draw her back toward the northern wilderness of Sevettijärvi. This instrument represents a different facet of Sami culture, one deeply intertwined with storytelling and community gathering. The transition is not about abandoning Helsinki, but rather about expanding her horizon to include the specific cultural landscape of her ancestral home. Why does this matter? In an era where indigenous cultures are often reduced to static museum pieces, Sari's journey represents a dynamic, living engagement with heritage. It is a reminder that for many Indigenous peoples, culture is not something you look back on from afar; it is something you carry within you and bring forward into new contexts. The Path Forward As Sari navigates this dual existence—between the fiddle of Sevettijärvi and the accordion of Helsinki—she embodies a resilience that defines her community. Her story is not unique; thousands of Sami people live scattered across the Nordic region, balancing modern life with traditional obligations. Yet, her personal choice to actively seek out these connections offers hope for younger generations. The significance of her move back toward Sevettijärvi lies in its symbolism. It suggests that the past and present are not mutually exclusive. By embracing both, Sari proves that one can honor tradition without rejecting modernity. As she continues to dance and play, she ensures that the voice of the Kolttasaami remains heard, resonating from the frozen north all the way to the city streets.