Northern peoples
Sjåbakkenhuset - Sjit helvedes kåken
Sjåbakkenhuset, or better known as «Sjit helvedes kåken», made history with Anton Sjåbakken's famous letter to the Kåfjord construction office in Olderdalen in 1949. Today, the house is a tourist attraction in Manndalen.
Architecture and building traditions
Kvendrakten / kveenipuku
Work on developing a costume for the Kvens began in 1995, following an idea from artist Jens Stark. In 2001, the Kven costume was finalised, and today it is an important identity marker for the Kvens.
The Kvens
Gammetufter, Ytre Gamvik
Gammetufters are the remains of farmsteads. In outer Gamvik in northern Troms, these mounds are still visible in the terrain.
Architecture and building traditions
Kven language
Kven is a national minority language spoken mainly in Troms and Finnmark counties. The language is part of the Finno-Ugric language family and is a Baltic Sea Finnish language. The language is closely related to Tornedal Finnish Meänkieli in Sweden and the Northern Finnish dialects. In Sweden, Meänkieli is a national minority language.
The Kvens
Sauna / sauna
Sauna bathing has always been an important part of Kven culture, and with Finnish immigration in the 16th and 18th centuries, the sauna tradition became common in northern Troms and Finnmark.
The Kvens
Jan Harald Tomassen
The Centre for Northern Peoples had a unique opportunity to combine a film screening with an unprecedented deep dive into Kven culture when filmmaker Jan Harald Tomassen presented «Great Grandmother's Journey» (11.03.25). In an open and engaging conversation, Tomassen shed light on the inspiration behind the film and the challenges he faced in realising this personal project.
The Kvens
Alf Nilsen-Børsskog
Alf Nilsen-Børskog was the first novelist to write in Kven. His books are said to be a tribute to the Kvens and their culture.
The Kvens
Hans Kristian Eriksen
Hans Kristian Eriksen (1933-2014) grew up in Indre Kiberg in Varanger. He settled in Stonglandseidet in Tranøy municipality on Senja later in life. The author seems to have two homes: Kiberg and Senja, which is also evident in his writing and cultural activities. The marginal stories of Northern Norway, which had no place in the official history books, are nevertheless important themes in his literary work, and show that they were close to his heart.
The Kvens
Recipes with cooked meat
Cooked meat recipes that have traditionally been made in Nord-Troms.
Food and recipes
Recipes with ground meat
Recipes with ground meat, the way they make it in Nord-Troms.
