SASS 2009 - Speakers

-- Thomas A. Loftus will open the conference with words of welcome.

Thomas A. Loftus was the Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization from 1998 to 2005. Previously he served as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway from 1993 to 1997. Upon leaving, he was awarded the Grand Cross by His Majesty King Harald of Norway, the highest order of the Royal Norwegian Order. Ambassador Loftus served in the Wisconsin Legislature from 1977 to 1991, serving as Speaker of the House for 8 years. During his tenure as Speaker he created and served as chair of the Committee on the Future of the University of Wisconsin System. He is the author of the book, "The Art of Legislative Politics," published by Congressional Quarterly Press. Loftus holds degrees from UW-Whitewater and UW-Madison.

-- Nils Gaup will give the keynote address on Thursday night.

With his first film Ofelas or Pathfinder from 1987, Nils Gaup (born April 12, 1955) emerged as one of the leading storytellers of Scandinavia. This Sámi film was the first feature film in the world written and performed in an indigenous language and in an indigenous setting, and many films have since then followed Pathfinder’s lead. Gaup went on to make Hollywood movies and television shows before he in 2008 released his second Sámi film called The Kautokeino Rebellion 1852, based on a true story. During its premiere at the International Film Festival in Tromsø this movie was presented as Norway’s most important film ever, a film under the sign of reconciliation. It has proven very popular amongst audiences in Scandinavia and won several Amanda prizes in 2008, among others The People’s Prize.

-- Eric Nelson, Executive Director of the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, and Janet Rauscher, Chief Curator of the same will speak wt the Women’s Caucus Lunch on Friday.

Eric succeeded Marianne Forssblad who founded the museum and he is now shouldering the burden of raising millions to build a dream museum on a new lot near the Seattle Locks. They will present architectural images of the new museum and talk about their vision of what a Nordic Museum stands for. The title of their talk is “Building a New Nordic Heritage Museum.”