This unusual church takes the traditional form of a Sami kåta, a timber-framed hut clad on the outside with turf, rather than a conventional building of stone or wood boarding. Light enters through six windows set into its walls. A small timber bell tower stands nearby, marking the site even from a distance across the fell.
The kåtakyrka was built by Sami people from Staloluokta under the direction of Isak Parffa and was consecrated on 25 July 1971. It belongs to Jokkmokk parish in the Diocese of Luleå, and its construction reflects the seasonal life of the Tuorpon Sami, who gather at Staloluokta during the summer months.
Because of its remote location, reachable only on foot or by boat within Padjelanta National Park, the church is closely tied to the rhythms of Sami reindeer herding life rather than to a settled parish community in the usual sense. Visitors who make the journey encounter one of the simplest and most distinctive church buildings in Sweden, a modest structure that sits lightly within a dramatic mountain landscape.