Duodji practitioner and Sami craftswoman Hilde Marie Lund from Nordreisa makes the most beautiful products from leather, bone and beads, and has the Queen herself on her customer list. She collects the materials right outside her living room door.
Published 14 July 2021
Inspired by Sami, Kven and Norwegian, also called Tremaining meeting Hilde Marie Lund makes everything from hats and harnesses to juice and jelly from locally sourced materials. She tans both fish and reindeer skins herself in the traditional way, picks berries that are used for juice and dyeing, and makes beads from the backbone of salmon. Hilde is keen for everything to be used and wants to take a stand against the use-and-throw-away mentality in our society.
- I'm inspired by the abundance of materials we have around us, and I'm keen for everything to be returned to nature. For example, when I make blueberry juice, I use the leftovers to colour the pearls I've made from the salmon's spinal cord," says Hilde.
Traces of Sami, Norwegian and Kven craft traditions can be seen in Hilde's products, and she has also been inspired by other indigenous cultures, including Canada and Greenland.
Tanning fish skin requires both time and patience, but the result is worth it. Hilde says she first learnt this technique at the Riddu Riđđu festival. The tradition used to be alive among the Sea Sami, but as people got better advice, they stopped doing it. Hilde now only tans for her own production. Jewellery, earrings, belts, bags and harnesses, often in combination with other types of leather, which are decorated with silver, crow silver, pearls and Swarovski crystals. The use of sea urchin silver and pewter thread as ornamentation has a long tradition among the Sea Sami.
Queen Sonja has also been impressed by Hilde's creative use of natural materials and has visited the store several times.
Taken by the skin
Hilde's parents were both skilled craftsmen, and Hilde herself began sewing doll clothes when she was seven years old.
- We were a big sibling group and mum sewed the clothes for us. It was completely natural back then. I wanted to study arts and crafts, but ended up in commerce and office work. After school, I travelled to the USA as an au pair. Three weeks before, I happened to visit a neighbour's wife who taught me how to sew dresses. When I got home, I applied to study duodji in Kautokeino. I got my certificate in 1997. You could say that the skin took me," says Hilde.
Hilde Reisa established leather products in 2004. In a cosy old country store, Kronebutikken, in Sørkjosen, she has both a workshop and a shop. Here she sells both her own products and products from other suppliers. If you need materials for your own production, you'll also find them here: fur and leather from fish, rabbits, foxes, sheep, seals, various fabrics, threads, beads, crow silver and various tools for production.
It's not duodji that occupies Hilde. She makes juices, jellies and jams for sale in the shop. Reisa Skinnprodukter also offers catering, craft courses, craft experiences, multimedia shows, lavvu experiences and lavvu hire for private events.
Craftsman of the month
In 2014, Hilde from Nordreisa was named artisan of the month by Birka, the national centre for arts and crafts. This is what the jury had to say:
Hilde Marie Lund makes beautiful and distinctive products, with roots in duodji, Sami craftsmanship. In doing so, she is helping to keep a time-honoured craft alive and further develop the traditional products. She emphasises sustainable production and wants to challenge the use-and-throw-away mentality by creating long-lasting quality products.
Beads from the backbone of salmon. Photo: Torun O. Wernberg.
Current links
Old craft traditions into a new era, NRK 2021
The Queen visited Hilde and Kronebutikken again: - I am both humbled and moved, Framtid i nord 2020
