In 1673, Johannes Schefferus published Lapponia, the first scholarly work entirely devoted to Sápmi and the Sámi people. To mark its 350th anniversary, UiT The Arctic University of Norway invites scholars to a multidisciplinary conference on the genesis, reception and aftermath of Schefferus' seminal book.
The aim of the conference will be to shed light on the production of knowledge about indigenous peoples in early modern Europe. How was empirical evidence gathered, according to what criteria were learned theories formed regarding the origins and relatedness to other peoples? With such a scope, we hope to further our understanding of the historical mindset by which Lapponia was created.
We also want to contribute to the study of Schefferus' place within the long history of Sámi studies in Scandinavia and beyond. To what extent are Lapponia and comparable works relevant to discussions about indigenous identities today?
Lapponia is an expression of wider trends in European intellectual history; papers on other early modern scholars and their works will therefore be relevant as well, insofar as they contribute to the overall theme of the conference.