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.