Born in 1943, was a Finnish-born Norwegian Sami multimedia artist. He was born to a family of traditional reindeer herders, but was trained as a teacher. He chose teachers’ college because it was an education that trained him in a number of areas he was interested in, among others literature and music.
Regarding to the music work, Valkeapää became a revitalizer of Sámi culture and above all of Sámi music. In particular he created a new interest in Sámi yoik at a time when it was in danger of dying out.
Musics by Valkeapää includes:
Vuoi, Biret-Máret, vuoi! / Nils-Aslak Valkeapää 1974; Ádjajohka, silbačuojan / Seppo Paakkunainen 1990; Alit idja lahkona / Nils-Aslak Valkeapää 1992.
Books by Valkeapää includes:
Beaivi, áhčážan 1981 [The Sun, My Father], awarded with the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize 1991; Ruoktu Vaimmus 1985 [Trekways of the Wind], nominated for the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize in 1988; Nu guhkkin dat mii lahka – Så fjernt det nære 1994; Ritnoaivi ja nieguid oaidni – The Frost-haired and the Dream-seer 1995; jus gazzebiehtár bohkosivččii 1996; Eanni, eannážan 2001 [The Earth, My Mother].
He died on 26th November of 2001 in Espoo, Finland.
