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Sami school in Hattfjelldal, Nordland.
Dinner at the boarding school, 1953
(Photo: Sigrid Bergli Sørnes)

Sami school history

Sámi skuvlahistorjá

Samisk skolehistorie


Skoganvarre school, Porsanger, autumn 1962.
2. and 3. grade with teacher Birgit Bergh.

(Photo: Richard Bergh)

Did you know?

that

- Sami language was medium of instruction in schools almost 300 years ago.

- later Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Russian authorities used the school to extreminate the Sami language and culture - and they almost succeeded.

- there were teachers who taught in Sami even though it was forbidden by law.

- while other Sami teachers refused their children to speak their mother tongue.

- there were Norwegian teachers who in the 1950:s called the language policy "a crime against the children".

- in the 1950's there was a Sami vocational training with a Sami content and Sami language as a subject, but later this disappeared.

- Sami pupils in Norway have since 1998 had the legal right to education in Sami language - but many have not got it.

This and much more you may read about in Sami school history.


What is Sami school history?

Sámi skuvlahistorjá 1-3 /
Samisk skolehistorie 1-3

The books have text in Sami and Norwegian language, they have 448, 464 and 458 pages and the price is 395 NOK pr. book.

You may book the books from the publishing house Davvi Girji

The texts you may also read here:
1. book - in Norwegian
1. book - in Sami.
1. book - in English (only parts)
2. book - in Norwegian
2. book - in Sami.
3. book - in Norwegian
3. book - in Sami
No articles from the second and third book are yet available in English.

Sami school history is a book and internet projekt which started in 2003 and will last for some years yet. The first book was published in 2005, the second in 2007, the third 12.06.2009 and the plan is gradually to publish at least five books about Sami school history in Norway. We also hope that there will be done similar books about Sami school history in Sweden, Finland and Russia.


Who are behind this?

More than one hundred persons have so far written or told their memories, provided pictures, translated or in other ways contributed to Sami school history.

The editional commitee which has edited the 1. and 2. book consists of Svein Lund, Elfrid Boine and Siri Broch Johansen. From the 3. book is also Siv Rasmussen part of the team. They have all been working within Sami education.

The books are published by the publishing house Davvi Girji, where Seija Guttorm is working on this project.

So far the following institutions have given financial support:
The County Governor of Finnmark, Sami Parliament, Tromsø college, Bodø college, Norwegian Cultural Council, The Freedom of Expression Foundation, Commitee for education material for higher education, Kåfjord municipality, Finnmark county, Troms county, Nord-Trøndelag county, The Board of the Sami Secondary Schools, Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association and Ministry of Labour and Integration.


More information in other languages

If you choose the Norwegian or Sami flag on top of this page, you will find also links to a series of newspaper articles, a large litterature list, a list of Sami school books and a presentation of the Sami School History Project. But that will at least at the moment demand some understanding of Norwegian or North Sami language.


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