Zeit im Fluss. Der Alta-Fall als historischer Wendepunkt
In 1970 the Norwegian government publicly announced plans for a monumental dam and hydropower-station located in the far north of the country. The Saami minority played an important role in the numerous oppositional movements formed against these plans. The Alta-saken was a definite turning point in the history of the indigenous Saami-population in northern Europe. In my thesis, I analysed the narrative construction of this crucial event to explain the cultural negations surrounding the Alta-river.
In the years since the official end of the controversy, numerous narrative approaches have been developed to explain the experiences of change during the critical events, often based on contemporary accounts, for example in newspaper articles. By identifying the turning point events in historiographic texts, the thesis shows the fluctuations and developments of events over time. The controversy showcases that turning points are not only a product of retrospective analysis, but can be utilised in ongoing struggles as a narrative tool for societal and political change.
Publications from the project
- (with Solveig Marie Wang and Mary Keogh) “The Relationship Between Energy Equity and Green Colonialism: The Arctic Paradox?,” in: The Energy-Trilemma in the Baltic Sea Region. Security. Equity and the Environment, ed. Michael Kalis. Abingdon: Routledge, 2024.
- “Der Fosen-Konflikt. Mehr als 700 Tage Kampf gegen Windmühlen,” [blog] NORDEUROPAforum blog, October 26, 2023, https://portal.vifanord.de/blog/der-fosen-konflikt-mehr-als-700-tage-kampf-gegen-windmuehlen/.
- “Landnutzungskonflikte für die Gewinnung von Energie,” [radio podcast] VerQuer.Radio, June 8, 2023, https://bildung-verquer.de/radio/vera-165-landnutzungskonflikte-fuer-die-gewinnung-von-energie/.