Zooification

Zooification refers to a manner of representation in which indigenous communities and individuals are objectified and treated as tourist attractions in their own living cultural landscape. Within tourism industry in Finland, the idea of Sámi is strongly associated with Sámi dress. People wearing the Sámi dress are often treated as if they were ‘exhibits’, that is, objects devoid of personality. This will become a problem especially when private individuals, who are unconnected with the travel industry, are wearing the Sámi dress. Moreover, the Sámi and Sámi culture are constantly used in tourism as passive decorations and props to add local colour, and as exotic and primitive objects removed from their cultural context.