Risten Anine and Sara Marielle are sisters who grew up in the Northern-Sámi town Guovdageaidnu, with four other siblings and with parents who worked hard to teach and pass on Sámi knowledge to their children.

Their father is from a reindeer herding family and is a well known juoigi (yoiker) and storyteller, as well as a teacher in Sámi language. Their mother grew up in a village by the sea, a place where the Sámi language and culture was well hidden and almost forgotten. This due to the colonization and assimilation politics that Norway led towards the indigenous people who lived on the land where they founded the state of Norway. Their mother has been a key figure in the revitalization of the local duodji (traditional handicrafts) in her area, and today there are many users and makers of the gákti (traditional Sámi clothes), a skill that was almost gone. 

 

Risten Anine and Sara Marielle are traditional and modern juoigit (yoikers) and have performed on stage with luohti (yoik), theatre and other cultural communication since childhood. They are passionate about Sápmi, have a strong Sámi identity and are determined to preserve their cultural heritage. Because of the colonization and christianization of Sápmi that led to a severe decrease and almost disappearance of the Sámi culture, the sisters longstanding project has always been to preserve traditional Sámi yoik and teach it to children and youth in order to spark their interest for keeping this tradition alive.

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Risten Anine and Sara Marielle formed OZAS as a continuance of a lifelong artistic collaboration and their shared values, passion and engagement, and to create a platform for their heart projects and cultural expressions.