Photographic Alphabet: F is for Elisa Ferrari
Photography and words by Elisa Ferrari
Photo Editor: Xinxin Zhang
“The Sami Way”
Can you hear the sounds of life
In the roaring of the creek
In the blowing of the wind
That is all I want to say
That is all
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää (Sámi poet, 1943-2001)
“In many ways, human rights issues are the zeitgeist of this decade. The situation in Sápmi is a ripple in the ocean of inequality that we continually face. It’s a place where controversial matters related to human rights, equality and climate change have met in a battle between land and culture, resources and power. However, we still have the ability to learn from our mistakes and to take a moment to contemplate the Sami way. They have a keen understanding and awareness for nature and the land and a holistic approach to life reaching back thousands of years. Maybe if we listened to the Sami we could hear their point of view, we could understand that land and resources aren’t just for our generation, or for the needs and desires of today, but should be preserved for all future generations to come.”