The End of Drum-Time is set in the 19th century, a period marked by sociopolitical changes and the intensification of Christianization and colonization efforts in Scandinavia. Christianization of the Indigenous Sámi people began as early as the Middle Ages but gained momentum in the 17th and 18th centuries, and efforts intensified in the 19th century. Missionaries, often supported by state authorities, sought to convert the Sámi from their traditional shamanistic and animistic beliefs and practices to Christianity. This process was part of a broader European movement to spread Christianity, which was seen not only as a religious duty but also as a way to “civilize” Indigenous populations.

In the novel, Pastor Lars Levi Laestadius represents these Christianization efforts. A historical figure, Laestadius was a Swedish Sámi Lutheran pastor and botanist who led a religious revival among the Sámi in the 19th century. His fervent preaching and missionary activities aimed at eradicating traditional Sámi practices, which he viewed as pagan. This period saw the establishment of churches and schools designed to indoctrinate Sámi children into Christian beliefs, often at the expense of their native languages and traditions.

Colonization in the Scandinavian context involved the expansion of Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish state control over the Sámi territories, which spanned across these modern nation-states.