How Musician Katarina Barruk Is Keeping the Ume Sámi Language Alive

Condé Nast Traveler

by Erika Owen

February 23, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Katarina Barruk, a musician from northern Sweden’s Lusspie region, is using her music to preserve the endangered Ume Sámi language, which is spoken by fewer than 30 people worldwide. Through her art, she weaves in traditional joiking—a vocal style that serves as a form of storytelling and honoring people or landscapes—into her compositions. Unlike conventional conversation, joiking involves deeply personal emotional expressions that often cannot be translated literally, making Barruk’s music a unique portal into the Umé Sámi culture. Barruk grew up in an activist family, with her father playing a key role in revitalizing the Ume Sámi language. Her childhood was steeped in the importance of preserving this endangered dialect, which is one of the least spoken among the Sámi languages. She recalls holding a printed Ume Sámi dictionary for the first time, an emotional moment that underscored the significance of having such a resource available to learn and revitalize the language. Barruk’s music has gained international recognition, with performances at major festivals like Iceland Airwaves, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and Norway’s Øyafestivalen. Her newest single, “Dárbasjub Duv,” offers listeners a way to experience the traditional sounds of joiking and the Umé Sámi language. This global exposure has helped bring attention to the broader Sámi community, which spans northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. For travelers

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Originally published on Condé Nast Traveler on 2/23/2026