Projections for Sámi in Norway: Schools as Key to Revitalization

Øystein Alexander Vangsnes

doi:10.7557/12.6427

Authors

Øystein Alexander Vangsnes University of Tromsø https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1017-8657

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/12.6427

Keywords:

Sámi languages, revitalization, Sámi in Norway, language vitality

Abstract

The paper presents three different projections of the future number of Sámi language users in Norway based on the contemporary number of children receiving instruction in Sámi in the Norwegian school system, either North, Lule or South Sámi. There exist three different curricula for the subject Sámi, one for first language pupils (Sámi 1), one for second language pupils (Sámi 2), and one for pupils with no previous knowledge of the language (Sámi 3). Depending on whether only Sámi 1 pupils become future language users, or also Sámi 2 or even Sámi 3 pupils do so, a sober, moderate, and optimistic prognosis can be made, respectively. The sober prognosis predicts a dramatic decrease for North Sámi and slight decrease for the other two varieties, whereas the moderate prognosis predicts stability for North Sámi and increase for Lule and South Sámi, and the optimistic prognosis predicts an increase for all three varieties. A number of factors that are likely to modulate the prognoses are brought to attention and discussed, unveiling that more information is needed regarding a number of issues that bear on how the future of the Sámi languages in Norway can be estimated.

References

Aikio-Puoskari, Ulla. 2009. The ethnic revival, language and education of the sami, an indigenous people, in three nordic countries (Finland, Norway and Sweden). In Social Justice through Multilingual Education, edited by Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Robert Phillipson, Ajit K. Mohanty and Minati Panda, pp. 218–239. Multilingual Matters, Bristol. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847691910-016

Albury, Nathan J. 2016. Holding them at arm’s length: A critical review of Norway’s policy on Sámi language maintenance. Journal of Home Language Research, 1:1–16. https://doi.org/10.16993/jhlr.25

Antonsen, Lene. 2015. Språksentrenes voksenopplæring. Sámi logut muitalit 8: 71–84.

Jones, Hywel M. 2012. A statistical overview of the Welsh language. Welsh Language Board. Available at https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20120330040554/http://www.byig-wlb.org.uk/English/publications/Publications/A%20statistical%20overview%20of%20the%20Welsh%20languagef2.pdf

Kejonen, Olle. 2020. North Saami, Čohkkiras variety (Sweden, Norway) – Language Snapshot. In Language Documentation and Description 17, edited by Peter K. Austin, pp. 178–185. EL Publishing, London.

Laakso, Johanna, Anneli Sarhimaa, Sia Spiliopoulou Åkermark, and Reetta Toivanen. 2016. Towards Openly Multilingual Policies and Practices: Assessing Minority Language Maintenance Across Europe. Multilingual Matters.

Minde, Henry. 2003. Assimilation of the Sami: imple¬men¬tation and consequences. Acta Borealia 20: 121–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/08003830310002877

Morén-Duolljá, Bruce. 2010. De samiske språkene: vakre, unike og uerstattelige. Bårjås, 2010: 54–65.

NOU 2016. Hjertespråket—Forslag til lovverk, tiltak og ordninger for samiske språk. Norwegian Public Report 2016:8. https://www.regjeringen.no/no/doku¬menter/nou-2016-18/id2515222/

Pasanen, Annika. 2019. Becoming a New Speaker of a Saami Language Through Intensive Adult Education. In Rejecting the Marginalized Status of Minority Languages, edited by Ari Sherris & Susan D. Penfield, pp. 49–69. Multilingual Matters, Bristol. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788926263-007

Pietikäinen, Sari, Leena Huss, Sirkka Laihiala-Kankainen, Ulla Aikio-Puoskari and Pia Lane. 2010. Regulating multi¬lingualism in the North Calotte: The case of Kven, Meankieli and Sami languages. Acta Borealia, 27:1, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/08003831.2010.486923

Nygaard, Vigdis, Áila Márge Varsi Balto, Marit Solstad and Karl Jan Solstad. 2012. Evaluering av samiske språksentre. Norut Report 2012:6. Available at https://evalueringsportalen.no/evaluering/evaluering-av-samiske-spraaksentre/Evaluering%20av%20samiske%20språksentre.pdf/@@inline

Olthuis, Marja-Liisa, Trond Trosterud, Erika Katjaana Sarivaara, Petter Morottaja, and Eljas Niskanen. 2021. Strengthening the literacy of an Indigenous language community: methodological implications of the project Čyeti čälled anarâškielân, ‘One Hundred Writers for Aanaar Saami’. In Indigenous research methodologies in Sámi and global contexts, edited by Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen, Pigga Keskitalo, and Torjer Olsen, pp. 175–200. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004463097_008

Rasmus, Sini. 2019. Sámi ođđahállit. Sosiolingvisttalaš guorahallan: go sápmelaš sámástišgoahtá rávis-olmmožin. Master thesis, Sámi University of Applied Sciences.

Rasmus, Sini, and Pia Lane. 2021. New speakers of Sámi: from insecurity to pride. Linguistic Minorities of Europe Online.

Rasmussen, Torkel. 2015. Samisk språk i grunnskolen og videregående opplæring. In Sámi logut muitalit 8. Sámi University of Applied Sciences. Available at https://samilogutmuitalit.no/sites/ default/files/publications/2_sprak_i_skolen_2015_16.pdf

Rasmussen, Torkel. 2017. Eanet sápmelaččat go goassege ovdal: Leago vejolaš mihttidit ovtta giela dili. Dutkansearvvi dieđalaš áigečála 1/2017, pp. 39–53.

Salminen, Tapani. 2007. Europe and North Asia. In Encyclopedia of the World’s En¬dan¬gered Languages, edited by Christopher. Moseley, pp. 211–281. Routledge, London.

Sametinget. Undated. Samiske språksentre. https://sametinget.no/sprak/samiske-spraksentre/.

Soler, Josep and Jeroen Darquennes (eds.). 2019. Language Policy and ‘New Speakers’. Thematic issue of Language Policy, Vol. 18:4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-018-9504-4

Todal, Jon. 2013. Quantitative changes in the status of the Sámi language in Norway: A summary of existing knowledge. In Sami Statistics Speak 6. Available at https://samilogutmuitalit.no/sites/default/ files/publications/5quantitative_changes_in_the_status_of_the_sami_language_in_norway_3.pdf

Trosterud, Trond. 2008. Language assimilation during the modernisation process: Experiences from Norway and north-west Russia. Acta Borealia, 25:2, 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/08003830802496653

UNESCO. 2003. Language Vitality and Endanger¬ment. UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on Endanger¬ed Languages. Paris. Available at http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CLT/pdf/ Language_vitality_and_endangerment_EN.pdf

Vangsnes, Øystein A. 2021. Den samiske lekkasjen i grunnskulen. In Sámi logut muitalit 14. Available at https://samilogutmuitalit.no/sites/default/files/publications/den_samiske_lekkasjen_i_grunnskulen_-_2021_k2.pdf