Gustav Kappfjell


Gustav Matheus Kappfjell, also known by the Southern Sámi form of his name, Gaebpien Gåsta, was a Southern Sámi reindeer herder, hunter, farmer, poet, and joiker from Maajehjaevrie in Grane, Norway.

Biography

Kappfjell attended the in Havika in 1921-22; at that time the state Norwegianization policy forebade students from speaking Sámi languages. During World War II, Kappfjell was witness to the 1942 in which 24 Norwegian partisans were arrested in Majavatn and later executed at the Falstad concentration camp. His father, Nils Johan Kappfjell, died on 5 July 1948 in the. After his mother, Anna, died in 1951, Kappfjell took over the family farm, eventually selling his share of the family reindeer herd to invest in the farm. His brother, Nils Olav Kappfjell, contined with reindeer husbandry.

Poetry

As a poet, Kappfjell wrote about Sámi life and identity, blending images of reindeer herding and mountain life with ancestral stories, Southern Sámi history, and customs. He also outlines Sámi struggles with the loss of land, water, and rights. His collection of poems, Gaaltije, was the first literary work published in Southern Sámi. Kappfjell wrote most of his poetry in Southern Sámi, along with some works in Swedish and Norwegian. Previously, Kappfjell published poems in the Saemien Sijte foundation's Åarjel-saemieh yearbook in 1982 and 1985, as well as in the Čallagat and Vår jord er vårt liv anthologies. An audio book of his poetry was published for. Kappfjell was awarded the Grane Kommunes Kulturpris in 1987.