Sámegillii På norsk

Do you know Sami school history? Sámi skuvlahistorjá / Samisk skolehistorie (Sami School History) is a series of books published by the publishing house Davvi Girji. In about 200 articles in 5 volumes there is told about the experiences of Sami children in Norwegian schools, and about the changes in the educational politics of the Norwegian authorities towards the Sami population. The books are published with parallell text in Sami and Norwegian language. In this web site some of the articles of the first book are also published in English. It would be too much to translate it all, so to make this history available to a greater public, we are translating a series of newspaper articles, which sorted by topics make a summary of stories in the books. So far there are 28 articles published in Sami language by the Sami newspapers Min Áigi and Ávvir. They are also published here in Norwegian and the English version will be published gradually as they are translated. These articles are edited by the main editor, Svein Lund. Besides him the editing board of the book series consist of Elfrid Boine, Siri Broch Johansen and Siv Rasmussen.

Struggle for Sami gymnasium

English translation by Inga Hild Lykka

Here we have edited out some parts of documents telling this story. The whole documents can be read (in Norwegian or Sami language) in the book Samisk skolehistorie 2.

Why gymnasium for the Sami?

Up until this day we have in fact just one school that is Sami and that at the same time can give some sort of higher education. I’m referring to The Sami folk high school in Karasjok. What this has meant for the people can’t easily be measured. But the love and sympathy given from Finnmark in the north to Femunden in the south may give a small indication. What is then the reason for its success? Yes, it is the Sami peoples’ own school, the only one. Here they can be themselves. Here they don’t need to be afraid of being looked down upon and despised. Here it’s equally good to be Sami as it is to be Norwegian. And no less important, here they get education in their own language, and acquire knowledge of their ancestral heritage.

Oh no, there is no reason to doubt that the folk high school in Karasjok has fulfilled its promises. Yet at the same time it has revealed an enormous need, the need for a Sami school system throughout the whole education. Educational institutions where children and youth don’t have to experience the trampling of their parents’ language and culture, or simply see it passed in silence. Where they can be allowed to meet the new on the foundations of the old, and themselves be a part of building up the Samiland of tomorrow.

To reach that goal, we must at the very least aim for a school of higher education. The people need leaders. They need skilful men and women who fully master the Norwegian language and belong in the Western European common culture, yet who at the same time through thorough introduction in their mother tongue and heritage, have gained the necessary prerequisites to compare both cultures against each other. Only then can they find a synthesis in pact with today and the future. As it is now, the most gifted part of the youth apply for the Norwegian gymnasiums in Finnmark or further south. What this leads to is obvious: the young will most likely receive a reasonable orientation in what the schools give, being the cultural heritage of the West. But the heritage from their ancestors is pretty much outside consideration. And this happens whilst they must live and breathe daily in a Norwegian environment. Under these conditions it’s no wonder that they against their will or not are assimilated. Think about what would have happened had Norwegian youth had to go to Germany to get their artium [final secondary examination]. If we had lost the war, we would have risked doing such things. I don’t think we would have liked it.
(Stein Henriksen's article, SSH-2)

In 1969 the gymnasium classes in Karasjok on could finally open. This is from the opening. (Photo: Per Jernsletten)

The Sami Council asks the Sami Mission to start a gymnasium

In light of this we turn to the Finnemisjonen (Sami Mission), hoping that there are capabilities to erect a school of higher education for Sami corresponding to the principles set above.
(Sami gymnasium, SSH-2)

Essay about Sami gymnasium

The question which is most discussed these days is the necessity for a Sami gymnasium. Personally I believe that such a gymnasium should be created. What we need are more people with education for the Sami. So far most doctors and teachers have only spoken Norwegian. Many of them have often not understood the Sami and their problems because of the language. It is people with Sami background who are the right ones to help the people of inner Finnmark in solving their problems.

As the conditions in the gymnasium are today, Sami youth experience problems with the Norwegian language in particular. In this field they will lose much compared to their fellow pupils. The biggest problem is not being unable to speak, but being unable to write Norwegian. We all know the difficulties of writing Norwegian is in its placement and use of prepositions. I think the linguistic difficulties are one of the main reasons why there are so few youths from inner Finnmark in gymnasiums.

For the sake of language it is in my opinion important with a Sami gymnasium where the Sami language, culture and history are emphasised. I’m sure that it would lead to more and more Sami finding their way to the gymnasium. In order to speak another language, I think it is important to know one’s own mother tongue, both the spoken and written forms. The mother tongue lies closest to heart and one has spoken it since one was little. It would in my opinion be much easier for us to learn Norwegian, had we first received the foundation of Sami language.
((Sami gymnasium, SSH-2)

Finnmark county council against