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If Karasjok serves as the official and institutional stronghold for the Sámi, then Kautokeino may be considered the slightly more rebellious and unpretentious second-in-command.
In Kautokeino, you'll find the Sámi National Theatre, the Sámi Film Institute, and Juhls’ Silvergallery—the silver museum that has perhaps become the town's most significant tourist attraction. Also, it is home to the first, and as far as I know, the only university where teaching is conducted in Sámi.
One of the oldest buildings in all of Finnmark was Kautokeino's old church, but it was burned down by the Germans at the end of World War II. The new church was completed in 1958.
However, even after more than 170 years, Kautokeino is perhaps still primarily remembered for the Kautokeino Rebellion. Numerous essays have been written about it, and in 2008, even a feature film was released, so Kautokeino seems destined to continue being linked to the rebellion for the foreseeable future. Very briefly summarized, it was a combination of colonial oppression and religious fanaticism that led to two murders, with political and religious consequences throughout the region.
A few days ago, I read about the formation of a new Sámi religious community called Sámi Faith and Belief. This community was intended to be based on nature and its forces, with members hoping that the faith could protect the Sámi mountains from development. Information about the new religious community was available on several different websites, but suddenly everything was gone. It was impossible to find any information about it at all. Very strange. However, I got the impression that it was a neo-shamanistic group consisting of 50 members from Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
The revival of ancient shamanistic practices sparks debates—some claim it was clandestinely preserved through centuries, passed down by a chosen few, while skeptics dismiss it as long-extinct nonsense. Others, again, say that it has always persisted in the form of healers who didn't make much noise but were known to the people.
One of the more well-known neo-shamans, who passed away in 2014, is Ailo Gaup, born in Kautokeino. He was also an author and journalist and one of the co-founders of what is now the Sámi National Theatre in Kautokeino.
In ancient times, each family had its own drum that could be used for simple predictions about the future, such as the weather and other similar matters. A Noaid (Sámi shaman), on the other hand, was consulted for serious matters, such as negotiating with the mistress of the realm of the dead about whether someone should live or die. The Noaid was the one who could go into a trance and travel to the lower and upper worlds.
One notable difference between the old Shaman, Noaid, and modern neo-shamanism is that, in the past, one generally did not aspire to become a Shaman or Noaid; it was something you were chosen for against your will, and often you fought against it. In neo-shamanism, on the other hand, people actively seek it and take courses to learn.
In 1894, seven Sámi from Kautokeino moved to North America, along with wives and children, to teach reindeer herding to the Inuit. Some of the families chose to move back after the three-year contract, so more interested individuals were needed. In 1898, 43 Sámi from Kautokeino and Karasjok arrived, with 16 women and 19 children, 15 Norwegians with 3 women and 7 children, and 10 Finns. And they brought along 526 reindeer.
Several of the Sámi and reindeer were featured in an advertising campaign for reindeer meat. In this campaign, the Sámi led the reindeer, pulling sleds with a Santa Claus in each, carrying Christmas presents. This is where the modern American myth of Santa Claus and the reindeer coming from the North Pole originated.
Reindeer like to eat mushrooms in the fall, and since they eat the red fly agaric, they can fly, and that's also where the red color on Santa Claus's suit comes from. And Santa Claus is a shaman.
