Ánde Somby

was born in Buolbmát, which is located in Sápmi, a territory that encompasses northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. He is a Sami yoiker, an artist that composes, performs and transfers knowledge of traditional Indigenous chants known as joik. Somby is also an associate professor in the University of Tromsø’s Faculty of Law, specializing in Indigenous Rights Law. As a yoiker, Somby has produced numerous recordings, including the 1985 LP “Ean Máššan” with his late father Aslak Somby and mother Karen Kristine Porsanger Somby. Between 2003-2007 he performed with the group Vajas (echo). Somby also co-founded the Sámi publishing house and music label, Dat. In his role as a legal scholar, Somby’s Ph.D work connects Nordic juridisprudence with the classical rhetorical traditions associated with Plato and Aristotle. He has also published numerous books and articles on law and policy as well as the text “Yoik and The Theory of Knowledge (1995).”