Maxida Märak, a member of the Swedish indigenous Sami people, collaborates with Downhill Bluegrass Band in a musical project blending bluegrass with traditional Sami folk music. Maxida alternates modern singing with the traditional Sami yoik. ”Mountain Songs & other stories” breaks new ground, exploring the similarities between the Sami culture’s musical expression and the American traditional folk music from around the Appalachian Mountains. The mountain has a central role in both contexts, and the mining industry affects the lives of both people and nature on both sides of the Atlantic. Maxida Märak from Jokkmokk is a young, promising multi-artist that is deeply rooted in the Swedish Sami indigenous people. Maxida and Downhill mix the traditional yoik with modern singing and contemporary bluegrass with traditional instrumentation that is Downhills speciallity The project is primarily a musical project, but has a more serious undertone, and can be seen as a contribution to the debate on how we manage our natural resources.