Denne avhandlingen studerer de litterære verkene til den samiske forfatteren Matti Aikio, samt det nedslag hans verk hadde i samtidens Norge. Aikios romaner, artikler, skuespill og billedkunst ble skapt i tidsrommet 1904-29, en periode da Norge som ny selvstendig nasjonalstat hadde begrenset toleranse med sin samiske minoritet. En slik etnisk kultur-forståelse var i samsvar med samtidens rådende sosial-darwinisme, på overgangen fra kolonialisme til imperialisme. I slike omgivelser fremsto Matti Aikio som norsk forfatter med bøker skrevet på norsk – men med et selvvalgt samisk-lydende kunstnernavn. Det er avhandlingens mål å avdekke en mulig notsetningen mellom storsamfunnets forventning om assimilasjon og Aikios diskrete presentasjon av samiske verdier i sitt verk og virke. Det blir diskutert om nettopp valg av virkemidler førte til mistenkeliggjøring fra samtidens samiske talsmenn, men at ettertiden har vist at Aikios insistering på samarbeidslinje ville gi bedre langsiktige resultater for samisk språk og kultur. Samtidig søker analysen å underbygge at Aikio selv fikk en økt forståelse for den samiske kulturens mangfold i løpet av sin karriere – samtidig som taktikken endret seg i forfatterens langsiktige strategi om full likestilling for den samiske minoriteten. Fra å hevde at den ekte samiske kulturen bare fantes i Karasjok, endte han med en mer moderne og inkluderende forståelse av en samisk folkegruppe med et mangfold av språk og kulturuttrykk. / This dissertation is a study of the literary works by the Sami author Matti Aikio, and of the impact his work had in Norway in his time. Aikio’s novels, articles, dramas and paintings were produced in the time period 1904−1929, a period when Norway as an independent nation state had limited tolerance for its Sami minority. Such an ethnic cultural understanding corresponded with the prevailing sentiment of social Darwinism of the time, in the transition from colonialism to imperialism. In this context Matti Aikio emerged as a Norwegian author with books written in Norwegian – but under a personally chosen, Sami sounding nom de plume. The objective of the dissertation is to disclose a possible contradiction between greater society’s expect­ations regarding assimilation and Aikio’s discreet presentation of Sami values in his literary works and professional activity. It has been discussed whether precisely the choice of tools at hand served to undermine his credibility with the Sami spokesmen of the time, but after the fact it has become evident that Aikio’s insistence on a collaborative line would have far better long-term results for the Sami language and culture. The analysis simultaneously seeks to substantiate that Aikio personally acquired a greater understanding of the diversity of the Sami culture in the course of his career – while simultaneously the tactics of the author’s long-term strategy for full equality for the Sami minority changed. From maintaining that the true Sami culture was found only in Karasjok, he ended up with a more modern and inclusive understanding of a Sami ethnic group with a multitude of languages and cultural expressions.

This thesis explores prevailing and changing attitudes among Protestant Christians as manifested in the World Missionary Conference of 1910, held in Edinburgh, Scotland. It compares the conference to missionary literature to demonstrate how well it fit the context of the missionary endeavor during the Edwardian era. It examines the issues of race and empire in the thinking of conference participants. It pays particular attention to the position of West Africa and West Africans in conference deliberations. It suggests that the conference, which took place soon after the scramble for empire and just before World War I and the subsequent upsurge of nationalism and anti-colonialism, offers a valuable historical perspective on the uneven nature of globalizing Christianity.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of History, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-85).

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