Eastern Sámi family camp in Seitsul Island, Kola Peninsula, in late 1800s. Photo: Courtesy of the Snowchange Co-op, 2014
Snowchange Cooperative joins in mourning for the loss of a prominent scholar of the Eastern Sámi languages, cultures and regions – mr. Leif Rantala.
Mr. Rantala was a long-time Lecturer of Sámi languages at the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland. He worked across decades in various positions in the Sámi world, including essential contributions to the work of the Sámi Council. He is the author of numerous works and publications on the Eastern Sámi issues.
Snowchange worked with mr. Rantala since 2010 on the mapping efforts of the Eastern Sámi space. The cooperation, amongst other things, resulted in the award-winning Eastern Sámi Atlas, released in 2011 and re-released in 2013. Since 2010, Snowchange continued to work with mr. Rantala weekly until the time of his death. He passed away at 67.
Original announcement of the passing of mr. Rantala is available in Finnish here.