Walking with, Walking Past/s: Contested Landscapes in Gilbbesjávri, Sápmi

Abstract

This article interrogates the contested landscapes of Gilbbesjávri, Sápmi, integrating participatory research with an innovative walking methodology. Using an improvised walk around Lake Čáhkáljávri as both a research tool and critical framework, the study explores the interplay of land use, heritage, and identity in northern Fennoscandia. It examines how state-led conservation policies, tourism development, and shifting border dynamics intersect with traditional Sámi reindeer-herding practices and Indigenous knowledge of the land. By juxtaposing infrastructures with erased and marginalized heritage, the article highlights how landscape is an active force in shaping social relations and community resistance. Moreover, the embodied act of walking challenges dominant cartographic and managerial representations, underscoring the need for decolonial approaches that honor local memory and relational experiences. Our findings highlight how landscapes are not static backdrops but fluid, contested spaces where visible and invisible forces connect and divide communities. This reconceptualization offers implications for rethinking environmental governance and advancing Indigenous land rights in the Arctic.