Mathilde Magga (Bidrag 9) - LITERATURE / TEXT
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Om kunstner / About the artist:
Jeg begynte å skrive kreativt når jeg kom til USA for 3 år siden. Jeg har alltid hatt en sterk interesse for litteratur, men jeg hadde aldri skrevet selv, siden jeg aldri hadde tro på at det var noe jeg kunne være flink i. Første semester i utlandet tok jeg et fag som het introduction to creative nonfiction, og det å skrive kreativt på engelsk viste seg å være utrolig befriende, helbredende og ikke minst gøy. Jeg har skrevet jevnlig siden det og det er nå også blitt en stor del av mine studier. I have been reading books since I was a child, but I never thought I had the type of imagination to write something myself; it just never occurred to me to even try. When I arrived in the US, about to start my BA in English Literature, I was required to take a writing class. I ended up enrolling in creative nonfiction. Creative nonfiction is basically writing about true experiences, but in new, different, and creative forms. I was forced to dig into my own experiences, which were mostly about growing up as Sámi in the Northern Norwegian town Tromsø. I ended up loving it. I realized that not only was it a huge release and a lot of fun, it was a way for me to engage in issues faced by Indigenous youth, and how those follow us wherever we are in the world. It because another lens into the world of injustice and healing for those who are born into historical trauma. I am now pursuing a PhD in English Literature at the University of Washington, but I plan on continuing with my creative writing as another way of challenging a society still heavy with racism, both in the US and in Norway. Bidragenes sjanger / Genre: Jeg synes det engelske begrepet passer så bra; creative nonfiction. Det er rett og slett å skrive sanne hendelser på en kreativ måte, så det kan ofte opptre som skjønnlitterært men det er alltid skrevet om sanne hendelser. Literature - creative nonfiction. Om bidragene / About the artwork: Denne teksten er det vanskeligste jeg noen gang har skrevet, siden det handler om så personlig traume. Likevel er det utrolig viktig at det snakkes om hvordan det er å vokse opp som samisk ungdom i Norge. Det påstås hele tiden at Norge er verdens beste land og vokse opp i, og det kan godt hende, men det betyr ikke at vårt samfunn er fritt for rasisme og fremmedfrykt. Samisk ungdom og andre minoritetsungdom sliter daglig, og er mer utsatt for selvmord. Dette stykket er et forsøk på å vise utenforstående en brøkdel av hva som skjer over alt i vårt eget samfunn. I tillegg håper jeg det kan være en trøstende hand for noen som befinner seg i lignende situasjoner og føler seg helt alene. Du er aldri helt alene. The Places We Exist is one of my most important pieces, as it journeys through my experiences from childhood and all the way to writing my senior thesis last year, drenched in a sort of identity crisis. It explores what it means to be caught between two cultures and challenges the notion that Norway is free of racism, and that our country has learned how to treat the Sámi population with respect and dignity. The Places We Exist tries to shine light on the roller coaster that is growing up with a history of injustice, and what that does to our population, especially the youth. In some ways, it is both attempting to reach out a hand to those struggling with similar issues while at the same inviting those unfamiliar with this kind of narrative to come and take a closer look. It is screaming that we are hurting, but we are still here fighting. It is time to start listening. |
Fødselsår: 1998
Studiested og fagområde: Tacoma/Seattle, Engelsk Litteratur og Urfolksstudier Hjemmeside: Epost: mathilde__98@hotmail.com |