Johan Turi’s early 20th-century work offers a rare and detailed insight into Sami life in northern Sweden, highlighting the enduring challenges faced by Europe’s only recognised Indigenous people. Turi, widely considered the first Sami author to write about his community in the Sami language, sought to correct misconceptions about his people during a period marked by discrimination, land conflicts, and industrial encroachment.

Turi’s 1910 book, *Muitalus sámiid birra* (An Account of the Sami), combines vivid illustrations—such as a multi-perspectival drawing of reindeer—with written accounts of Sami belief systems and customs. Born in Guovdageainnu (Kautokeino), Norway, in 1854, Turi and his family moved to Kiruna, Sweden, as national borders and growing industrialisation increasingly impacted traditional Sami livelihoods, including reindeer herding.

Almost a century after the publication of his work, Turi’s writings, drawings, paintings, and traditional Sami handicraft (duodji) are now central to an exhibition at the Kin Museum of Contemporary Art in Kiruna. The exhibition, titled *On the Ugly and the Beautiful*, references Turi’s belief that both positive and negative aspects of life deserve recognition. It features the works alongside those of contemporary Sami artists Outi Pieski and Johanna Minde.

The opening of the exhibition coincides with the handover of a long-awaited report by the Truth Commission for the Sami People to the Swedish government. The report, presented Wednesday at Mid Sweden University in Staare, documents abuses committed by the Swedish state against the Sami and is intended to serve as a foundation for discussions on reparations and reconciliation. Similar truth commissions have been established in Norway and Finland.

According to Maria Lind, director of the Kin Museum, Turi’s book aimed to provide a comprehensive portrayal of Sami life—both external and inner experiences. Turi reportedly hoped that if the Swedish king read his book, it might lead to change, though there is no indication this happened. Regardless, the work went on to become a success and remains influential.

Contemporary Sami artists stress that Turi’s work laid the groundwork for ongoing truth and reconciliation efforts. Pieski, who resides in Finnish Sápmi, said that Turi’s drawings express a profound connection to the land, reflecting an Indigenous perspective that views humans and animals as integral parts of the environment rather than distant observers. Pieski’s contributions to the exhibition also explore traditional Sami symbols such as the ládjogahpir, a women’s hat that has emerged as a symbol of decolonial feminism.

Despite progress symbolised by the Truth Commission and the exhibition, challenges persist. The Sami continue to face threats from industrial development—particularly mining for rare earth minerals and wind energy projects—that impact reindeer herding and their natural environment. At the same time, anti-Sami rhetoric has increased in some political arenas.

Pieski emphasised the enduring struggle, noting that “we are kind of in the same spot still now, 100 years later,” and underlined the importance of acknowledging Sami history to preserve their identity. Ignoring Indigenous histories, she said, is a classic colonial tactic that denies the existence and rights of a nation that continues to endure.