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Sami Languages in Education in Sweden and Finland

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Sami Languages in Education in Sweden and Finland SAMI LANGUAGES IN EDUCATION IN SWEDEN AND FINLAND Madoka Hammine ECMI WORKING PAPER #92 May 2016 ECMI- Working Paper # 92 The European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) is a non-partisan institution founded in 1996 by the Gov- ernments of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Re- public of Germany, and the German State of Schleswig-Holstein. ECMI was established in Flens- burg, at the heart of the Danish-German border region, in order to draw from the encouraging example of peaceful coexistence between minorities and majorities achieved here. ECMI’s aim is to promote interdiscipli- nary research on issues related to minorities and ma- jorities in a European perspective and to contribute to the improvement of interethnic relations in those parts of Western and Eastern Europe where ethno-political tension and conflict prevail. ECMI Working Papers are written either by the staff of ECMI or by outside authors commissioned by the Cen- tre. As ECMI does not propagate opinions of its own, the views expressed in any of its publications are the sole responsibility of the author concerned. ECMI Working Paper # 92 European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) Director: Prof. Dr. Tove H. Malloy © ECMI 2016 2 | P a g e ECMI- Working Paper # 92 SAMI LANGUAGES IN EDUCATION IN SWEDEN AND FINLAND The aim of this working paper is to compare the language policies of Finland and Sweden, especially in the field of education for the Sami population. The analysis is carried out on a macro level; firstly it investigates and examines how Finland and Sweden have intr o- duced legislation to protect Sami languages, followed by a discussion of the current situa- tions in the field of education, according to each stage of education. A comparison of the two nations highlights their different outcomes due to the different policies of their gov- ernments. Madoka Hammine May 2016 ECMI Working Paper #92 I. INTRODUCTION Both Sweden and Finland have Sami parlia- ments, which are in charge of safeguarding, de- Nordic countries, including Finland and Sweden, veloping and coordinating all matters concerning are often represented as actively promoting di- Sami areas of interest. The Sami Parliament in versities within their societies. Especially in each country has autonomy in the field of educa- terms of protection of Sami languages, Norway tion to a certain extent. Since Sami languages is often seen as a model by the other two na- are endangered, language revitalization requires tions. It was, in fact, “promoted” from inside and not only the efforts from authorities at a national outside of the country based on the reflection of and supranational level, but also support from harsh assimilation history toward Sami people in individuals who speak the minority languages. the past. On the other hand, Sweden and Finland Thus, it is essential to examine them from both a are often perceived to be following Norway as a macro and micro level. model in their protection of Sami rights. Hence, by comparing Sweden and Finland which have II. WHO ARE THE SAMI? similar influences from Norway, this paper aims firstly to investigate how two countries have The Sami, who live in the northern parts of been developing their education system, in terms Scandinavia and Finland and in the Kola Penin- of education for Sami population, and secondly sula, are the only indigenous people in the EU to to compare the situations of Sami language edu- have their own languages, culture, means of cation in both countries. livelihood and identity.1 As indigenous people, they are now allowed to develop their languages, 3 | P a g e ECMI- Working Paper # 92 and culture.2 The Sami’s status as indigenous of each state. This assimilation period entailed a people is based on their unique worldview, their number of cultural shifts. For instance, their re- own history, livelihoods and language. They are ligious and traditional ceremonies were dis- described sometimes as Saami, or Sami. How- placed by the Christian church and their lan- ever, throughout this paper, the word “Sami” is guages were replaced by dominant languages of used to indicate this population. each state.6 In Sweden, the attitude toward the They live in the area known as Sápmi, which Sami was characterized by two policies; firstly, today stretches from parts of Norway, Sweden, a policy of segregation which was applied to the and Finland to the Kola Peninsula in Russia. reindeer Sami at the end of the nineteenth centu- They are known to have lived in certain areas of ry, and secondly, a policy of assimilation which the Nordic countries and Russia since prehistoric was applied towards sea Sami and mountain times, supporting themselves by engaging in Sami communities with the particular exclusion activities such as fishing, trapping and reindeer of the Reindeer Sami. In Finland, the national herding. Some Sami communities, defined as romantic ideology demanded that the language “sea Sami,” are located along the coast, where of the country should be Finnish, meaning diffi- they engage in activities such as fishing. Others, cult situations for the minorities were often ig- such as the “forest Sami”, pursue reindeer herd- nored.7 ing in forest areas, while those who migrate with their herds between mountains and coastal areas are known as “mountain Sami.”3 It is estimated III. WHAT ARE SAMI LAN- that of the 70,000 to 100,000 Sami people, GUAGES? 40,000 to 60,000 live in Norway, about 15,000 to 20,000 in Sweden, about 10,000 in Finland, The Sami languages are Finno-Ugric languages and approximately 2,000 in Russia.4 (such as Finnish, Hungarian and Estonian) spo- Since Sami people have traditionally ken in the Sami region in Norway, Sweden, lived in the area spanning the borders of the Finland and Russia. Roughly half of the Sami modern states of Norway, Sweden, Finland and people speak one of the Sami languages.8 The Russia, their histories after the establishment of Sami languages are divided into three main lan- modern state borders differ slightly, depending guages: Eastern Sami, Central Sami and South- on the policies of each state. However, in all of ern Sami.9 Among these three categories, there these states, they have often been treated, in are ten different languages, 10 namely North many respects, like refugees or inferior people, Sami, Lule Sami, Pite Sami, South Sami, Ume having been subjected to powerful assimilation Sami, Skolt Sami, Kildin Sami, Inari Sami, Ter policies in all of the four countries. Due to the Sami, and Akkala Sami. Of these ten Sami lan- history of assimilation, they are now being al- guages, three are spoken in Finland: North Sami, lowed to expand and adapt their languages and Inari Sami and Skolt Sami; while five are spo- culture.5 In the 1600s, Sami people began to ken in Sweden: North Sami, Pite Sami, Ume give up their traditional livelihoods and were Sami, Lule Sami, and South Sami11. gradually assimilated into the dominant groups 4 | P a g e ECMI- Working Paper # 92 The Number of Estimated Native Speakers12 based largely on the knowledge of Sami lan- guages. According to this definition, a Sami is Sweden Finland someone who considers themselves to be Sami, North Sami North Sami provided that they have learnt Sami as their first (16,500 in total of all (16,500 in total of language or have at least one parent or grand- 16 17 nations, 7,000 in all nations, 2,000 in parent whose first language is Sami. If a Sweden) Finland) person matches these criteria, he or she can reg- ister as a “Sami” at the Sami Parliament, which Pite Sami Inari Sami allows this person to vote in elections. In (less than 40) (less than 300) Finland there is a debate regarding “status- Sami” and those “non status Sami” who do not 18 Ume Sami Skolt Sami have an official status as Sami. Although offi- (less than 20) (less than 300) cial statistics shows that there are approximately 1800 Sami language speakers in Finland, the Lule Sami voluntary nature in which Sami report their (1,000- 2,000) mother tongue has led to the argument that there are in fact more speakers of Sami in Finland South Sami (600) than these statistics suggest. Similar situations can be observed in Sweden as well. According During the assimilation period from the nine- to the Swedish governmental report on the teenth century onward, Sami children were edu- European Charter for Regional or Minority Lan- cated often only in the dominant state language guages, “Sami is defined as a person who con- and were not allowed to speak Sami to each siders themselves to be Sami and who speaks or other in school. This was the result of an earlier has spoken Sami at home, or whose parents or language policy which had the purpose of “uni- grandparents speak or have spoken Sami at fying” minorities. As a result, both in Sweden home, or has a parent who is or has been on the 19 and Finland, Sami languages have been influ- Sami parliament electoral register.” Only the enced by the majority languages, Swedish and “registered” Sami, based on this definition, have Finnish. According to the UNESCO Atlas of the right to vote for the election of members of the World’s Languages in Danger, all of the the Sami Parliament. In both Finland and Swe- Sami languages are considered endangered. 13 den, Sami is defined as a person who considers All the Sami languages are primarily important themselves as a Sami in addition to the criteria for the speakers of Sami languages.
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