The Sacred Mountain: The Heritage-Making of Sálašoaivi/Tromsdalstinden

This chapter examines the heritage-making process concerning Sálašoaivi/Tromsdalstinden, the distinctly characteristic mountain outside Romsa/Tromsø, which in 2004 became central to a “public re-emergence” of memories about Sámi reindeer herding, which had existed in the area prior to World War II, when the construction of a ski slope was proposed as part of Romsa’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. To counter these plans and protect Sálašoaivi, the Sámediggi mobilized to gather the accounts of elderly reindeer herders to use as evidence of the mountain’s sacred status and argue for its inclusion as a place of Sámi cultural heritage. This claim became a topic of public debate, and the question of what is “sacred” according to the Sámi has given rise to political and rhetorical controversies over Sámi heritage. In addition to retracing the themes of this debate, the chapter also examines more recent developments concerning the existence of material traces on the mountain, as well as oral records referencing potential religious sites connected to past Sámi herding. These encounters, revelations, and even misunderstandings evoke past sacral or ritual connotations, encouraging interpretative games in the present around defining Sálašoaivi as “living heritage” and challenging the character of anthropological knowledge.