Wooden weaving loom set up in a rustic cabin, with white warp threads hanging and wool at the loom’s heddles on the floor.

Wants the Grenfell Mission on the UNESCO World Heritage List

2 June 2026

Nomination proposal for Practices related to the upright loom in Sápmi submitted to the Directorate for Cultural Affairs. The aim of the nomination is to secure To become a mother (greeniving) recognition and lasting protection, by being an intangible cultural heritage passed down through generations.

The proposal is the first step towards a possible inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Weaving on the warp-weighted loom is one of the oldest forms of textile production, and in Sápmi it is used to weave traditional rat (Sami branch knitting). The knowledge of branch knitting has survived in an unbroken line despite changing times and the effects of the Norwegianisation policy. Today, To become a mother (Green weaving) in Gáivuotna municipality/Kåfjord a living cultural heritage. Where the women of Olmmáivággi/Manndalen have worked diligently to preserve and pass on the knowledge of rat (Sámi handicraft). In 1966, the handicraft association/immaterial heritage group was founded in Manndalen. Since then, the handicraft association has seen the importance of preserving Sámi traditions and knowledge, not just for the Sámi themselves, but as a part of the community's historical heritage. They decided to take control of their own cultural heritage and created their own guidelines to preserve it. As Mary Mikalsen Trollvik said in 1981, “We believed that this which our foremothers—and some of our forefathers—had striven and worked with through changing times, and had as a livelihood under difficult economic conditions, we had to try to preserve for the village for the future.” (Digre, 1966:38)

Weaving on a vertical loom is part of our collective cultural heritage – in Sápmi and in Norway. Through the nomination, Manndalen Husflidslag and the nomination's working group, consisting of Davvi Álbmogiid Guovddáš / Centre for Northern Peoples, Duodjeinstituhtta Troms, and Riddu Riđđu festival, wish to highlight the work required to keep the tradition of vertical loom weaving alive.

Upright loom weaving is an ancient craft that has been used across much of Europe. Today, remnants of upright looms are found in archaeological excavations, where loom weights bear witness to people having woven there in historical times. In our local communities, however, the tradition has lived on uninterrupted until today. The basis for the nomination proposal is not just the weaving itself, but also the tacit knowledge and cultural values associated with the entire process, from the raw materials to the branch chairs, sheep shearing, spinning, and the use of the branches.

The working group's project leader Siri Mari Vitalis Larsen / Centre for Northern Peoples has been working on the nomination since the beginning of the year, and with Kjellaug Isaksen from Manndalen Handicraft Association / Olmmaivággi Duodji Association sitting side by side with the paperwork. During the writing process, both Lisa Vangen / Museum Director, Centre for Northern Peoples and Eivind Falk / Head of Department, Norwegian Crafts Institute have been useful advisors and provided valuable input.

«At a time like this, when reconciliation is a hot-button political issue, it is important not to forget where reconciliation actually takes place: in small associations such as Olmmaivággi duodjesearvi/Manndalen husflidslag. Symbolically, the rátnu speaks of home and resistance. It has provided shelter as a lavvu, it has been an economic resource for Sámi families, and today it conveys a shared Sámi history and identity through its very presence. Its materials are so durable that a rátnu can be passed down through several generations. By submitting this nomination, we wish to recognise the value of this knowledge, so that we can work to ensure that future generations too can learn and carry on the practice.» Siri Mari Vitalis Larsen, Project Manager.

The way forward

The proposal is now with the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, and their expert committee will carry out the professional assessment of the nomination. If the Directorate for Cultural Heritage considers that the nomination proposal should be put forward to UNESCO, the proposal will be sent to the Ministry of Culture and Equality for a final decision.

We hope our nomination will be well received and go all the way to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage!