During the 2019 Chill Survive research days we visited many historical places that I had never visited before, even though I have been coming and going to my grandparents place in Kuusamo since I was born. The Lapland War at the end of World War II destroyed almost everything in Kuusamo and because of this the past isn’t that visible in Kuusamo. The fires set by either the Germans or the Russians burnt down almost all of the old farms, warehouses and the 19th century church. And all of my grandparent’s homes, even the cupping equipment of my great great aunt were burnt even if they were stored in the remote hay barn by the swamp.
It was the first time I saw something this old there as we visited the old sites of the past and lost Sámi tribes in Kuusamo. After the visits the history has been unfolding to me. The once overgrown by the undergrowth now manifest itself as markings on the map, archival documents, archeological findings and sites, geography, biology, dreams, conversations, auditory experiences, past ancestors, landscape, plants, birds, beasts, water, soil, rock and stones.
Kuusamo and its neighboring Posio used to belong to two Kemi Sámi communities or Siidas as they are called. The communities were the Kitka Siida around the lake Kitkajärvi and the Maanselkä Siida close to what is now the town center of Kuusamo.
I have found my connection to the Kitka Siida through genealogy: I was interested in the maiden name of a great-grandmother Korva. The only time I had heard about the possible Sámi heritage of our family were some jokes my grandfather made while feeling happy about something. He could jokingly say to us grandkids: “We are salmon Sámi!” (lohilappalainen). Ending with a curious facial expression. I never paid any attention to this, my grandpa had a lot of weird things he was talking about that didn’t make much sense to me as a kid. Little did I know that he was actually the offspring of a family from Kitka Siida. He has now passed and I can’t ask him about the many questions I now have. Did he know of this past? And If he knew why weren't he talking about this?
