Savannah-Rivka Powell is a PhD student at the University of Tartu and a Europaeum Scholar with the University of Oxford. Her research interests include positive expressions of minoritized identities with a focus on the Ainu of Japan and the Jewish diaspora connected with Europe. She works with communities on the local level and examines engagement with heritage institutions and transnational movements. Savannah-Rivka has contributed to projects with the Estonian Research Council and is an active member of the Nordic-Baltic Heritage UNESCO Network. Her master's thesis focused on the overlap of various forms of privilege and oppression in the realm of creative expression with an emphasis on gender and the construction of identity. This research emphasized the works of gender minorities and Indigenous people in their efforts to make positive and empowering statements. Her research objective has been to illuminate adaptive and innovative interpretations of traditional music developed by under-represented groups to maintain a voice in an ever-shifting and increasingly globalized society. Savannah Rivka completed her undergraduate work on Social Justice and International Cross-Cultural Awareness with a focus on Japanese studies, gender studies, diversity, and cultural anthropology at the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Colorado of the United States. She has experience conducting fieldwork and research in Japan, Estonia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and the United States. Savannah Rivka is passionate about the conscious engagement with heritage and folklore as a form of empowerment. Supervisors: Dr Elo-Hanna Seljamaa, Dr Ergo-Hart Västrik, Dr Jeffry Gayman
Women’s Role in UNESCO-Recognized European Traditional Singing Practices, 2022
In exploring the role of women in the UNESCO-recognized singing practices of Europe, one would be... more In exploring the role of women in the UNESCO-recognized singing practices of Europe, one would be remiss to omit the traditions of the Seto people. This paper provides an introduction to the role of women in Seto leelo and an analysis of the historical impact of this role within a socio-political matrix. Historically, village festivals and ritual observances gave women various opportunities to perform within their communities; in more contemporary times, however, women have expanded the scope of their performances into a larger public sphere. Our aim is to show how numerous factors may have influenced these traditions, and in some cases provided women with opportunities to venture beyond the boundaries set by traditional patriarchal family structures. This study begins with a brief explanation of Seto history and identity, followed by an overview of Seto leelo and its position within contemporary society. The final point of analysis examines the role of leelo as a women’s tradition.
Reliģiski-filozofsku rakstu XXVI. Dinamiskā Āzija (Dynamic Asia), 2019
The practices of Miko, Ainu and Ryūkyūan traditions of Japan have changed dramatically over time.... more The practices of Miko, Ainu and Ryūkyūan traditions of Japan have changed dramatically over time. While the Miko tradition is to some degree aligned with the mainstream dominant culture, the Ainu and Ryūkyūan cultures tend to be under-represented and viewed as ‘other’ within Japanese society. Institutionally, Japan recognizes the Ainu as Indigenous people through a resolution passed in 2007. Tokyo-based Kyodo News published an article claiming that there had been discussion in August of 2017 of passing a law with a similar acknowledgment, however, no such measure has officially been announced. The Ryūkyūan people in Okinawa are often viewed as a sub-group in Japan, and therefore they are rarely framed as an Indigenous minority. There have, however, been movements such as that of activist Shinako Oyakawa who has petitioned the UN forum for the recognition of the rights of Ryūkyūan people as indigenous (Magee, 2018).
This research illuminates adaptive and innovative interpretations of traditional music developed ... more This research illuminates adaptive and innovative interpretations of traditional music developed to maintain a voice in an ever-shifting and increasingly globalized society. Consideration has been given for methods which individuals utilize in navigating their sense of self through continuous negotiation with the larger community. There is an analysis and comparison of traditional and contemporary expressions of gender as it intersects with other identities such as Indigeneity and sexuality with consideration for cultural and historical contexts. In the endeavor to increase awareness regarding the dynamics of privilege and oppression challenges may arise in the process of orienting oneself in such a complex social matrix. Examining ways of personalizing these processes and experiences then expanding outward to the macro scale has great potential.
Women’s Role in UNESCO-Recognized European Traditional Singing Practices, 2022
In exploring the role of women in the UNESCO-recognized singing practices of Europe, one would be... more In exploring the role of women in the UNESCO-recognized singing practices of Europe, one would be remiss to omit the traditions of the Seto people. This paper provides an introduction to the role of women in Seto leelo and an analysis of the historical impact of this role within a socio-political matrix. Historically, village festivals and ritual observances gave women various opportunities to perform within their communities; in more contemporary times, however, women have expanded the scope of their performances into a larger public sphere. Our aim is to show how numerous factors may have influenced these traditions, and in some cases provided women with opportunities to venture beyond the boundaries set by traditional patriarchal family structures. This study begins with a brief explanation of Seto history and identity, followed by an overview of Seto leelo and its position within contemporary society. The final point of analysis examines the role of leelo as a women’s tradition.
Reliģiski-filozofsku rakstu XXVI. Dinamiskā Āzija (Dynamic Asia), 2019
The practices of Miko, Ainu and Ryūkyūan traditions of Japan have changed dramatically over time.... more The practices of Miko, Ainu and Ryūkyūan traditions of Japan have changed dramatically over time. While the Miko tradition is to some degree aligned with the mainstream dominant culture, the Ainu and Ryūkyūan cultures tend to be under-represented and viewed as ‘other’ within Japanese society. Institutionally, Japan recognizes the Ainu as Indigenous people through a resolution passed in 2007. Tokyo-based Kyodo News published an article claiming that there had been discussion in August of 2017 of passing a law with a similar acknowledgment, however, no such measure has officially been announced. The Ryūkyūan people in Okinawa are often viewed as a sub-group in Japan, and therefore they are rarely framed as an Indigenous minority. There have, however, been movements such as that of activist Shinako Oyakawa who has petitioned the UN forum for the recognition of the rights of Ryūkyūan people as indigenous (Magee, 2018).
This research illuminates adaptive and innovative interpretations of traditional music developed ... more This research illuminates adaptive and innovative interpretations of traditional music developed to maintain a voice in an ever-shifting and increasingly globalized society. Consideration has been given for methods which individuals utilize in navigating their sense of self through continuous negotiation with the larger community. There is an analysis and comparison of traditional and contemporary expressions of gender as it intersects with other identities such as Indigeneity and sexuality with consideration for cultural and historical contexts. In the endeavor to increase awareness regarding the dynamics of privilege and oppression challenges may arise in the process of orienting oneself in such a complex social matrix. Examining ways of personalizing these processes and experiences then expanding outward to the macro scale has great potential.
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