På norsk
Supplement material to the book Sami School History 4. Davvi Girji 2010.
 Edvard Masoni and his class at the Missionary school in Stavanger, photographed in 1896. Masoni in front towards the right of the picture. |
This contribution was printed in the Norwegian language Sami newspaper Waren Sardne 20.01.1912. Ole Edvard Nilsen (1870-1930), who around 1897 changed his surname to Masoni, was Sami from Rana in Nordland, his parents came from Arjeplog in Sweden. He studied at the Missionary school in Stavanger (1892-96), and went to China as a missionary for the Norwegian Lutheran China missionary association in 1897. He founded a mission in Yunyang. In 1902 he left the China missionary association. Later he studied medicine in the USA and worked as doctor and missionary in China. He was a preacher in Western Norway in the 1920's and spent the last years of his life in Åkre in Sunnhordland, where he is buried. Masoni was active in Sami organisational work in the 1910's. In 1911 he travelled around Northern Norway together with Elsa Laula Renberg to help the Sami organise politically. Masoni wrote many articles in Waren Sardne. |  The gravestone of Edvard Masoni at Åkra churchyard, Kvinnherad in Hordaland. |
The priest G. Tandberg informs in the magazine «Finnernes Ven» («Lapps' Friend») no. 22 of 1911, that «Waren Sardne» since August on for a considerable part has been living off him. The priest may find himself both thick and fat: But it would mean the death of starvation to «W.S.» if there were no other sources of nourishment than the priest G. Tandberg available.
The priest must thank himself, that his true mind and character is brought to light. He has no reason at all to be furious with «Waren Sardne» and aim his anger at innocent people. No one can wonder, that people who continuously are being denigrated, once will speak up against such shameful and incompetent methods. As you make your bed so you must lie in it, is an old and true saying.
When the priest declares in such an unreserved manner, that it «really is a too great honour» for him to be painted in these colours, which he himself has provided, he should not fling about with unrestrained words and blame «Waren Sardne». He ought to thank and be content. But the matter is probably, that he feels put in the pillory, which he himself has raised with his own hands. And now he is fighting a desperate struggle to escape this tight squeeze.
It would be appreciated if the priest would refrain from putting his face on by writing about his «dear Lapps». There are not many Lapps who welcome his loving touch. On different occasions he has been seeking for sand, to throw at the Lapps. So he can meritedly compare himself to «a cock, searching for corn». Like any other people the Lapps will not accept anything. No one in full possession of his senses can question this. They both wish to have peace and give peace. They do not wish to denigrate anyone, but do not accept to be denigrated either. The impudence can reach far in our days. One does not hesitate to justify ones own mean behaviour by pointing the finger at others. The priest Tandberg «consider it hopeless to get involved with «Waren Sardne» in an unbiased negotiation.» And this is not strange. Because the unbiased part for the priest seems to be his own limited field of vision. Only his own assertions is the unbiased grounds, he finds meaningful.
Mr. Tandberg says: I do not retract one single word of what I have written. It is written on the basis of what I have seen and experienced myself, and any Lapp and others which know my strong and genuine interest for the Lapps and read everything I have written, and not only the titbits served by «W. S.», must understand, that there is no trace of malevolence behind my words.»
A man, which finds so much greatness in himself, can of course not be willing to put old Adam to death. Therefore no word can be retracted. Even if it should be nonsense, it does not matter.
It is not only mr. Tandberg and his like-minded, who can write «on the basis of what I have seen and experienced myself». There are others, who can do the same. And who without a doubt have just as strong and genuine interest for the Lapps as mr. Tandberg. The priest must not imagine to be the only one, who knows the Lapps. Mr. Tandberg's writings about the Lapps are not unknown either. The priest's «interest for the Lapps» appears to me as resembling to the interest, the old heathen showed for his dog. He became famous for cutting the tail off the dog.
The Lapps is a devout people, which obeys the word of the Lord. And neither the priest Tandberg nor any other will be reproached by the Lapps for defining sin and grace by Gods word without discriminating people. But the Lapps will protest all denigration of the Lappish people. They will protest the spirit of making the Lapps seem worse sinners than the Darroes — the Norwegians.
In the priest's own words his «mission is to write for his Norwegian born countrymen about the Lapps and their conditions». The rest of us thought, it was his mission to be a shepherd for the church, where he is currently serving as a priest. We did not think, his task as a priest was to write misleading pieces about the Lapps for his tribesmen. As a priest he should have sufficient work in leading his parishioners to God in Jesus Christ. Why use the Lapps as a stepping stone?
Furthermore mr. Tandberg says: «Nevertheless «W. S.'s» writings is not just a personal attack aimed at the undersigned (and to some extent pastor Otterbech), which would give no reason to worry. But it is effectively a declaration of war on everything called Lapp missioning in our country.» This is not true. And the priest must answer to his words himself.
«Waren Sardne» has reproved and refuted priest Tandberg's distorted portrayals of the Lapps and has defended this mistreated people against constant belittling. The newspaper will with its meagre means support everything which is true, clean and righteous. To use the words of the priest it is then an «open declaration of war on everything called» untruth, injustice, life-lies, but not against any work, which «with good intentions» seek to call people to Jesus Christ. All upright people should know this. The priest should not clean his conscience by render suspect «Waren Sardne».
Mr. Tandberg is now informing, that the Lapps «has too much common sense and religious life not to understand» to separate real from false. But why did he then use all his might to depict the Lapps to his readers as «lower in all things» than the Norwegians?
The Norwegians or Darroes often try to the best of their abilities to fabricate Darroes of the Lapps. No one can refute this, no matter how impenitent he is. And the so-called Lapp mission has commented on this in harmony with the Darroification work.
This is no priest-lie, but an unwavering fact. And «Waren Sardne» does not pull the wool over its readers' eyes by calling attention to this unpleasant reality. But it has always hurt to hear the truth.
Bishop Bøckman does not make a secret of the Darroification. In a lecture on the Lapps he puts it like this: «As is well known work is being done to Norwegianize our Lapps, and it is a praiseworthy undertaking when it is done with intelligence, because the Lapp's only salvation is to become part of the Norwegian population. The Lapps are fighting against this with all their might, as is well known an uprising is taking place among the Lapps, to preserve the Lappish language and the Lappish peculiarities, and it is a result of this, when the Lapps in the later years have gathered around one of their own for the general election. However it is just a matter of time before the Lapps have been assimilated completely in the Norwegian population.» There are no ambiguities in this language.
But mr. Tandberg has been complaining, that «W. S.» «is deceiving the audience in an irresponsible way», when the truth is revealed. There is nothing wrong about the priest Tandberg and others writing derogatory articles about the Lapps, but when «W. S.» is calling attention to the fact, it is a great misdeed.
These people, who have formed the so-called «Finnemissionsforbund» («Lapp-mission association»), have put an unnecessary wedge into «Norsk finnemission». («Norwegian Lapp mission»). «The Lapp-mission association» does certainly not show much understanding of Lutheranism in words and deeds. These people have therefore made an open rebellion against the old «Norwegian Lapp mission». And now they do not wish to collaborate with those, who keep to the scripture. But they wish to wage war and fight anyone, who reprimand their unhealthy and non-biblical conduct.
It is mr. Tandberg himself, who «is deceiving the audience in an irresponsible way» when he is now attempting to make people believe, that he did not write anything improper about the Lapps, and that the «Lapp-mission association» should be met with trust and respect. His ridiculous tricks are doomed by themselves. Lastly this remark: «Waren Sardne» is a Lappish or Sami newspaper and works for the entire Lappish people's interests and not as the priest Tandberg asserts just for the «border Lapps» in Trondhjem diocese and to some extent Nordland county.
Mr. Tandberg informs that neither he nor the priest Otterbech are familiar with the above mentioned areas. Yet they have given the impression of, knowing practically every Lapp. The priest man is now trying to flatter the Lapps in the south, that they might «be superior» to the Lapps further north in Tromsø and particularly in Finmarken. But this flatter will be returned to sender. The Lapps in the south do not accept it.
The Lapps are not heathens and do as such not hail a caste system. The Lapps in Trondhjem diocese and Nordland county do not feel superior to their brothers in Finmarken. The Lapps in the north are completely equal to the Lapps in the south.
Mr. Tandberg and his boon companion mr. Otterbech have good reason to blush over their behaviour. And these gentlemen should at first pull the plank out of their own family branch's eye, and then they can remove the speck of sawdust from the Lapps' eye.
Edvard Masoni.