Sámi and minority languages in the Nordic region April 1 st 2016 Last 40 years: Increased interest in ethnicity - Increased focus on ethnic conflicts - Increase in migration and immigration within and into Europe - A new concept of the nation, ”new” ideal of pluralism 1 ECRML: European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages This treaty aims to protect and promote the historical regional or minority languages of Europe . It was adopted, on the one hand, in order to maintain and to develop the Europe's cultural traditions and heritage, and on the other, to respect an inalienable and commonly recognised right to use a regional or minority language in private and public life . First, it enunciates objectives and principles that Parties undertake to apply to all the regional or minority languages spoken within their territory: respect for the geographical area of each language ; the need for promotion; the facilitation and/or encouragement of the use of regional or minority languages in speech and writing, in public and private life (by appropriate measures of teaching and study, by transnational exchanges for languages used in identical or similar form in other States). Further, the Charter sets out a number of specific measures to promote the use of regional or minority languages in public life . These measures cover the following fields: education, justice, administrative authorities and public services, media, cultural activities and facilities, economic and social activities and transfrontier exchanges. Each Party undertakes to apply a minimum of thirty-five paragraphs or sub-paragraphs chosen from among these measures, including a number of compulsory measures chosen from a "hard core". Moreover, each Party has to specify in its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, each regional or minority language, or official language which is less widely used in the whole or part of its territory, to which the paragraphs chosen shall apply. Enforcement of the Charter is under control of a committee of experts which periodically examines reports presented by the Parties. http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Reports/Html/148.htm Denmark (Danish, German) – The Faroe Islands (Faroese , Danish) – Greenland (Inuit /Greenlandic (and Danish)) Finland (Finnish and Swedish are national languages. Sámi has official status in some areas. The Sami, Romani and other peoples have the right to maintain and develop their language (Romani, Russian, Tatar, Yiddish, Karelian) and culture + right to use sign language) – Åland Islands (Swedish ) Sweden (Swedish + six official minority languages: Finnish, Meänkieli (Torne Valley Finnish), Sami, Yiddish, Romani Chib and Swedish sign language) Norway (Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk) + languages with different degrees of official status: Norwegian Sami (three written languages: Northern Sami, Lule Sami and Southern Sami), Kven, Romani, Romanes and Norwegian sign language) Iceland : Icelandic In addition: heterogeneous immigrant groups. Sorce: http://www.norden.org/en/fakta-om-norden-1/language 2 Official state languages and regional or minority languages with official status in Europe, 2004 Languages used in different countries (2014) 3 Ethnic Revival • Sámi movement began in 1950s and has become more vigorous; struggle against the Alta dam in 1970s and 1980s led to massive protests and organization; they lost the battle but got increased public support to Sámi issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Jeb2XCGq0 • Greenlandic movement following WWII, but picking up in the 1960s and 1970s • Tornedalian/Kven movement in 1970s/80s Minority Movements as Emancipation Politics • Emancipation politics restructures hierarchies • In Nordic countries these are gradual reformations, not revolutions • 19 th c nationalism emancipated Faroese, Finnish, and Norwegian, which had previously been dominated by Swedish and Danish • But as some identities were formed, they in turn persecuted others, targeting them with assimilation policies 4 Language and Identity in Nordic Countries • Ethnic revival: – Arctic minorities (Sámi & Tornedalian/Kven) in Norway, Sweden, Finland – Sweden Finns (Finnish immigrants in Sweden; 400K, an urban minority) Ethnic Minorities in the Arctic Areas • Multiculturalism and multilingualism was the norm • Late 19 th c countries adopted assimilation policies • Modernization after WWII: schooling (often boarding schools), transportation, media – integrated Arctic into the nation-states 5 Ethnic Minorities in the Arctic Areas • Læstadianism (religious movement) promoted minority languages and opposed modernization & assimilation (Lars Levi Læstadius) • Building of the welfare state addressed poverty and inequality by treating all the same > assimilation • Modernization did not come at the same time everywhere – in coastal areas where it came earlier, there was more assimilation/loss of language – where it came later, ethnic revival came soon enough to save culture Ethnic Minorities in the Arctic Areas • Ethnic revival redefined democracy to include pluralism, guaranteeing right to ethnic identity along with citizenship • 1970s – realization that modernization was destroying the environment • Minority cultures gained respect for their knowledge of sustainable use of the Arctic 6 On Identity Strategies and Language • Many minority people have migrated out of traditional areas to cities, where there is less access to minority language in school • Great individual variation between ethnic activists who choose to use minority language and others who try to cover up their ethnicity On Identity Strategies and Language • What is the “real” minority culture? Is it confined to the old traditions of previous generations? • Stereotype of minority culture focuses on the past, not on the present reality, creating a tension • Minorities’ right to modernize without compromising their identity 7 On the Identity of the Group and the Language • Establishment of ethnonyms – Rehabilitation of formerly pejorative “Kven” – “Lapp” > “Sámi” • Development of written languages • Acknowledgement of status of languages – Kven/Tornedalian as a separate language, not a dialect of Finnish The Sweden Finns • Debate and confusion over bilingualism – Studies showed benefits of bilingualism, but – Parents were often encouraged to use majority language with children, even if they spoke it badly • 1976 Swedish Home Language Reform – immigrant & minority children have right to receive instruction in the language that is “a living part of the home environment” – But in reality, this policy was assimilationist, merely providing transition to majority language – 1980s–90s both activist and anti-pluralist groups have gained strength and home-language instruction has been reduced – “Swedish-only” ideology and recession 8 Sweden Finnish: Minority Identity • Sweden Finns are the largest minority group in Scandinavia, and Swedish-Finnish cooperation is historically strong, yet Sweden Finns are strongly stigmatized, despite support from EU and even from Swedes in Finland • Proposed creation of Sweden Finnish Parliament (like Finland Swedish Parliament and the Sámi Parliaments) • Some have tried to establish private schools for Finnish in Sweden • 1975 Sweden Finnish Language Board deals with issues of variance from standard Finnish Ethnic Languages and Minority Populations • Scandinavian speakers (Swedes, Danes, Norwegians) share a linguistic unity, all others are in a linguistically weaker situation • Debate over the role of English as a language of Nordic cooperation 9 - four colours known as "the Sámi (national) colours“ - motif derived from a sun/moon symbol appearing on many shaman's drums: blue representing the moon, red representing the sun - motif was chosen with the poem "Päiven parneh" ("Sons of the Sun") in mind: The poem describes the Sámi as "sons and daughters of the sun“ - in 2003, the Sámi flag received official status in Norway. It is now compulsory for municipalities in Norway to fly the flag on February 6, the Sámi National Day Sámi • Northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula, in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia (Sápmi) • Retreated under pressure from Germanic, Balto-Finnic and Slavonic peoples 15 th - 16 th Century 10 Sápmi 11 Linguistic heritage of the Sámi • The Sámi language belongs to the Finno- Ugrian branch of the Uralic language family • Closest linguistic relative is Finnish • Not all Sámi speak Sámi 12 Sámi languages and dialects • Speakers of contiguous dialects usually understand each other • Three dialect groups: Northern, Southern, and Eastern • Estimates for dialects are rough (no official statistics, and cross state borders) • Abstandsprache ‘language by distance’ • Ausbausprache ‘language by development’ 13 Dárogiella/ mamma jeg menneske bra tørr Norwegian (Bm) Swedish mamma jag människa bra torr Danish mamma jeg menneske god tør Máttasámegiella/ tjidtjie manne almetje buerie gejhkie South Sámi Julevsámegiella/ eadnie mån ulmusj buorre gájkes Lule Sámi Davvisámegiella/ eadni mun olmmoš buorre goikkis Northern Sámi Anárašsámegiella/ enni mun olmmooš šiev koškes Inari Sámi Golttásámegiella/ jienn mon áálmaž šiegg káá´škes Skolt Sámi s Gielddasámegiella jienn munn olma šig koaššk / Kildin Sámi 14 Endangered languages in Norway UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct": Vulnerable, Definitely endangered, Severely endangered and Critically endangered Language Status Comments Lule Saami language Severely endangered Also spoken in: Sweden Also