Traditional Sami Education
The historic Sami practiced an oral tradition and did not read or write. Their children, however, still had plenty to learn. Boys practiced woodcarving, hunting, fishing, and lassoing with their…
Education in Pre-Christian Sápmi
The historic Sami practiced an oral tradition and did not read or write. Their children, however, still had plenty to learn. Boys practiced woodcarving, hunting, fishing, and lassoing with their fathers. Girls studied weaving, milking, and homemaking with their mothers. Both genders learned the basics of medicine, foraging, and worship. But while these practical skills were important, they were far from the end of a child's education.
Instead of rote knowledge, Sami parents promoted critical thinking and independence in their children. Boys and girls followed their parents through the day, listening to stories and asking questions about their work. They learned to navigate in nature as they explored and played games together. Many stories ended with a moral lesson for the child to work out on his or her own. In this way, Sami education focused on teaching children to understand the world rather than explaining it to them.[1][2][3]
State-Sponsored Schools and Sami Identity
The arrival of Christian and state-sponsored schools in Sápmi interrupted traditional Sami educations. The first school in Sami territory was established in 1632 by Christian missionaries. It was soon followed by more. By 1773, Norway had banned the use of Sami languages in schools. The yoik, an ancient form of self-expression and growth, was also forbidden. The ban remained in place until 1959. Sami throughout the rest of Sápmi faced similar persecution over their identity for generations.
Classes taught by outsiders sought to convert Sami communities to Christianity by shaming their older faith. Teachers immersed their classes in the broader cultures of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia as much as possible. Nomadic children were often removed from their families for months to stay behind at boarding schools. There, they learned to read, speak, and write in the majority language of their country. By removing children from their own language, skills, and worship, state schools worked to slowly erase Sami culture.[4][5]
Education in Modern Sápmi
During the 20th century, Sami activists fought for the right to raise their children in their own culture. Early victories in the 1940s and '50s led to the sustained campaigns of the '70s. Today, Norway, Sweden, and Finland offer special schools and classes for Sami students. These teach in Sami languages and pay greater attention to Sami history. Similar programs exist for primary schools in Russia, but support has been minimal.
In many areas, Sami schools have come under criticism for poor funding and outdated curricula. Despite these issues, studies have shown increasing support for fluency in Sami languages. Government-sponsored broadcasts, road signs, and publications all encourage their regular use.[6][7]
Bibliography
"Sámi Learning and Education," Sámi Culture, University of Texas, accessed January 05, 2017.
Tapani Koppa and Pirjo Siiskonen, "Rural Community Studies in Finland" in Rural Community Studies in Europe: Trends, Selected and Annotated Bibliographies, Analyses, ed. Jean Louis Durand-Drouhin, Lili Maria. Szwengrub, and Ioan Mihailescu (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1981), 221-270.
Emilie Demant Hatt, With the Lapps in the High Mountains: A Woman Among the Sami, 1907-1908, trans. Barbara Sjoholm (Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2013), 21-24.
Rauna Kuokkanen, "Indigenous Women in Traditional Economies: The Case of Sámi Reindeer Herding," Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 34, no. 3 (2009): doi:10.1086/593382.
Hurst Hannum, Autonomy, Sovereignty, and Self-Determination: The Accommodation of Conflicting Rights (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1990), 249-252.
Hanna Outakoski, "Teaching an Endangered Language in Virtual Reality" in Keeping Languages Alive: Documentation, Pedagogy and Revitalization, ed. Mari C. Jones and Sarah Ogilvie (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013).
Mattias Ahren, "Racism and Racial Discrimination Against the Indigenous People in Scandinavia and Russia - The Saami People," in Racism Against Indigenous Peoples, eds. Suhas Chakma and Marianne Jensen (Copenhagen: IWGIA, 2001), 136-177.
About TOTA
TOTA.world provides cultural information and sharing across the world to help you explore your Family’s Cultural History and create deep connections with the lives and cultures of your ancestors.
