November 8, 1852 marked the end of prolonged unrest during the Kautokeino Rebellion, in which the merchant and sheriff were killed. Two of the rebels were later beheaded, while three others sentenced to death had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Among them was Lars Jakobsen Hætta, an 18-year-old poor reindeer herder. He could not speak Norwegian and could barely write, but could read some Sami and Finnish. With a life sentence ahead of him, he was transferred to Akershus prison, which was the country's strictest prison.
Three of the Sami prisoners died after a short time, but Lars apparently fared well. He proved to be a talent in many areas. Lars made a number of beautiful miniature models of everyday reindeer herding life, intended for museum use, and became a close partner of Jens Andreas Friis in translation work and the development of Sami written language. The two worked closely together for 30 years, despite their very different backgrounds.
Friis, who came from a family of priests, devoted himself to language research and folklore. He was a professor of Sami and Swedish at the University of Christiania and was known as the foremost connoisseur of Sami language and culture of his time. Many will probably remember the book and films about "Lajla".
Lars Hætta was pardoned in 1867 and returned home to Kautokeino, where he continued to work as a Bible translator on behalf of the Bible Society, still in close collaboration with Friis. In 1884, the formerly condemned murderer received honorary reparation from the state.
Pål Friis tells this extraordinary story that unfolds after the Kautokeino uprising, the most dramatic event in Sámi history. This happened at a time when the policy of Norwegianization was tightening, with irreparable damage to the Sami people and their culture.
