Hearing the Unheard I: The Sámi- Can Centuries of Oppression be undone?
The Sámi are an indigenous group whose native land spans northern areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Despite having inhabited this region for at least 10,000 years, Sámi people have suffered centuries of colonisation and oppression from Nordic governments. Attempts at reconciliation have been in place since the late 20th century, but there are fears not enough is being done to ensure the preservation of the Sámi language and culture.
In the past, the Sámi were self-sustained and well-respected since they dominated winter trade and transport with their expertise in reindeer herding. However, interference from Nordic governments began as early as the 17th century when the Swedish state began taxing the Sámi so heavily that many were forced to leave. By the 19th century, forced assimilation measures were widespread. These measures stripped the Sámi of their rights. their culture, even their religion, as Sámi religion was banned, and practising was heavily punished. In Sweden, decrees passed from 1898 to 1925 made Swedish the official language of instruction in all schools, and this did not abate until the 1970s.
In Norway, the process of ‘Norwegianization’ devastated the Sámi. New laws openly stripped them of their language and rights, by prohibiting Sámi language in schools and favouring those who spoke Norwegian with land rights, encouraging non-Sámi to encroach on traditional Sámi land. The Sámi were also subjected to appalling ‘scientific’ experiments to prove their subordinacy to so-called ‘native’ Norwegians. The human rights abuses suffered by the Sámi during this time understandably led to a dramatic loss of native speakers. Sámi parents found their language to be an obstacle and wanted to protect their children from the stigma of being Sámi rather than celebrate their heritage.
The Sámi are now recognised as an indigenous population in the Nordic countries and are the only indigenous population recognised by the EU. Various attempts at reconciliation have since been made, for example Norway has issued official apologies to the Sámi, and added the 1987 Sámi Act to the constitution, which ensures that the Sámi people are given the appropriate conditions to preserve and develop their language and culture.
The Norwegian government has not been perfect in its approach, however. In 2021, permission was given to build a large wind farm on Sámi land, which was ruled by the Supreme Court as violating the rights of the Sámi, as the proposed area is traditionally used for herding reindeer. Despite this, on the 16th of October this year, Sámi activists met with the king to discuss the issue, who said they “experienced not only being believed, but a human meeting with someone who really meets people with compassion and sympathy”.
While Norway appears to be taking the correct steps forward, the same cannot be said for Sweden, where instances of Sámi human rights abuse are not decreasing. Sweden’s Sámi Parliament, for instance, serves purely in an advisory capacity and is not noted in the Swedish constitution as is the case in Norway. Additionally, Sámi people are often not granted protection or rights as an indigenous group, violating Swedish law and international conventions. For example, in the 2003 referendum on Sweden adopting the euro, neither information nor ballot papers were available in any Sámi languages. Although Sámi discrimination is no longer policy, this is not to say it does not still exist socially. A report by the ombudsman in 2008 found record cases of discrimination in all areas of society, including education, exercise of authority, working life, the service sector, and the media.
In contrast to the Sámi population in Norway, the Sámi in Sweden have expressed that the concept of authorities actively working to promote Sámi rights is alien to them. In September this year, it was published that Sweden’s minister for Culture and Sámi Affairs, Parisa Liljestrand, has refused to meet with any Sámi groups. Despite efforts to set up a meeting, Sámi groups were left waiting for three months before hearing that she would be unable to meet due to time constraints. This has left the Sámi feeling forgotten and ignored, with one representative stating, “The saying ‘if you don’t see it, you don’t have it’ seems quite valid … it seems that our issues are not sufficiently valuable or interesting.” Liljestrand’s lack of concern for the group she was chosen to represent is reflective of Sweden’s attitude towards Sámi rights: concern lies primarily with establishing protection measures to save face, rather than enforcing them to save the people they were created to protect.
Despite relatively insubstantial efforts to protect them, there is hope for the continuation of Sámi culture. More younger people are reclaiming their Sámi identity by learning the language and familiarising themselves with the culture, and Sámi languages centres across Finmark have seen an increase in numbers of students. Classes at these centres focus on Sámi language and culture teaching, however despite best efforts, there remains a lack of teaching staff and appropriate resources.
Norway should be taken as the standard for attempts at reconciliation. This is made easier by the proportionally larger concentration of Sámi in Norway compared to other Nordic countries, affording them more cultural and political support, however Norway still offers more to the Sámi than any other country. A broader range of domains available in Sámi – medicine and mental health treatment, for example – is promising for the hope of repairing Norway’s relationship with their Sámi population.
Despite these measures, there is undoubtedly more to be done in countries across Finmark to facilitate Sámi influence and participation in politics, and to preserve their native language and traditions. Most importantly, it is vital that the Sámi’s rights as an indigenous group rather than a minority group are respected, especially in Sweden. This can be achieved with an increase in funding towards education for Sámi teachers and development of teaching materials, as well as more legal repercussions for occurrences of discrimination against the Sámi. The Sámi’s sustained resolve despite centuries of persecution and repression should be admired, and there is no doubt that their efforts to reclaim their language and culture will continue.