Tag: genetics

Torunn

My name, my true name from within. I chose it and I own it, letting go of my four letter name soon to be history of the past. I know I’m 31 years old and used to my offline official name, but I’m doing this life change now because it feels right.

And in addition I identify with the name Ingvild as my parents almost chose it as my birth given name, I really resonate with the strong meaning ‘foremothers struggle’ as a part of my own family research and passion for all of the Norwegian ethnic minority groups in general.

I’m a part of many ethnic groups; mostly Sámi and Kven/Finnish on maternal grandmother side and Reisende on maternal grandfather side, on fathers side with some Finnish/Kven and quite significant Sea Sámi origins. I’m also of so-called ethnic Norwegian origins, but the term is strange.

One thing about changes is that it is difficult getting used to them in the beginning so I’m going to struggle with this aspect in my everyday life. But it’s what I need now, so I’m doing it.

Folket som forsvant

I’m going to watch this very soon along with my mother who has roots in Agder and Rogaland, of (very likely) part Reisende/skøyer ancestry as well as ethnic Norwegian origins. It’s on NRK’s online television (nett-TV) and it’s a documentary about this ethnicity and culture, how the State and ordinary people discriminated against them (or much better said; us), the languages and roots of this coastal region Traveller peoples.

Meeting him again

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

I met my father in Autumn 2007 after 12 years not knowing him. It was him who contacted us, we actually met three times at a spescific location with someone else present. I’m not going into details about why he didn’t visit our home.

I remember being very nervous and excited about meeting him, btw I was an emo kid so I wore heavy black eyeliner on that faithful day.

When I saw him walking past the room I was like ‘omg, he really is just like me!’ and that was true every time we met, I was used to see how I was similar to my mother in political views and philosophy etc but my appearance is more like his and the way we think and respond to others.

This was profound in every way, and I am grateful for those moments and when the conversations were friendly (they were not always, I mention again he wasn’t in our home), and I learned a lot about him and myself in these experiences. I hope this was interesting to others, and true Sámi passion forever ❤