The aim of the study was to map the extent of Fe, Cu, Pb, As, Zn and S contamination in the area surrounding the Nasa silver mine. The mine operated between 1635 and 1810 with some prospecting performed in 1889, and has become infamous for the gruesome ways that the indigenous people were treated during the early years of operation. This study tested three hypotheses through a geochemical survey: 1) sulfide oxidation is still active in the abandoned mine, 2) the soil downslope of the mine is contaminated by mine drainage, and 3) the stream downslope of the mine is affected in the same way. All three hypotheses were valid, as the results showed that still, >200 years after mining operations ceased, signs of the historical mining are clearly visible in the surrounding environment. Acidic conditions were discovered in surface waters close to the waste rock piles, which indicates active sulfide oxidation. In addition, elevated levels of Fe, Cu, Pb, As, Zn and S were found in both soil and stream sediment downslope of the mines, as compared to reference localities upstream the mine (p <0.05). These results suggest that previous assessments of the mine being no threat to the environment may not be entirely correct. This study illustrates how mining waste can continue to affect the local, sub-arctic environment long after mining operations have ceased.

The purpose of this study has been to investigate and compare the use of history of the Nasafjäll silver mine as a historical cultural phenomenon, and its functional role as a cultural heritage. This by studying which story was conveyed, how this story was conveyed and with what purpose by different actors. It was also studied whether there had been any changes over time in the use of the history of the Nasafjäll silver mine. The sources have consisted of academic, popular history and popular cultural texts in books, articles and magazines, as well as articles and features in newspapers, TV, radio and websites between 1673-2021. The theoretical framework on which this study is based on, is a combination of the use of history and the history of knowledge. Based on Peter Aronsson's and Klas-Göran Karlsson's definition of historical culture and the use of history, as well as Margaret Macmillan's and Pierre Nora's definitions of memory cultures and memory landscapes, I also take inspiration from Philipp Sarasin´s and Andreas Kilcher´s knowledge history theories, based on the circulation of knowledge between people, groups and institutions. Two qualitative analysis methods have been used to examine and sort the texts of the source material. Narrative analysis to decode the text's content and meaning, and circulation analysis to examine how the history of the Nasafjäll silver mine changed and was used over time. The results of the study show that the perceptions created about Nasafjäll through Petrus Laestadius' texts in Fortsättning af Journalen öfver missions-resor i Lappmarken innefattande åren 1828-1832, as well as Janrik Bromé's book Nasafjäll: ett norrländskt silververks historia, have had a significant impact on the history and memory culture of the Nasafjäll silver mine. The conclusion is therefore, that various actors from the 17th century onwards have shaped the content of the place and concept Nasafjäll consists of, and maintained the general interest in the place's memory and its value as a lieux de mémoire. Nasafjäll has thus been formed into a historical cultural symbol, since the conceptions of the silver mine have been able to be adapted and used according to different political, cultural and commercial purposes.