Andreas Labba: The Pathway of a Cultural Broker, or Trickster Writes Back

Abstract

Andreas Labba (1907–1970) was, during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, one of the Sámi most well-known to the general Swedish public, often appearing in mass media and fraternizing with royalty, politicians and film stars. From a position as a humorous and exotic entertainer, he gradually took on speaking out for Sámi rights and environmental consciousness. In 1969 his novel Anta , drawing on personal memories and traditional storytelling, was published and immediately hailed as a literary success, giving further public attention to Sámi perspectives on topical questions. In this article we analyse his path as a cultural broker and Sámi political activist in a tripartite study in which we reconstruct his road to national attention by way of mass-media contacts, analyse the more intimate personal expressions in his song lyrics, and analyse his political public writings and actions up to his death in 1970.