Focus on future language carriers – altaposten.no

If the language is to survive, we must give the youngest language users good conditions. That is why the Sami Parliament is investing heavily in Sami kindergartens.

Through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we see the major consequences of the Norwegian. As a result, Sami languages ​​were lost to generations. Many Sami parents who today want to give their children what they themselves never got – the heart language – need help and support for it. Parents with partial Sami competence also depend on support around them in order to provide the language of their child. Without the necessary daycare, help and support from the local community, there may be « make it or break it » – the difference between continuing the language or losing it. That is why we focus on kindergartens and early language development. In 2024, the Sami Parliament gave around NOK 26 million to Sami kindergartens. The funds go to Sami language education in kindergartens, competence and development work, free Sami-language kindergartens and the development of educational material. The investments we make today create the language carriers of the future. In 2023, the Sami Parliament introduced free Sami -language kindergarten scheme. The scheme will motivate more parents to choose a Sami -language offer for their children. Many families have to choose the Næridshagen to get a Sami offer. It means longer travel in an already hectic toddler’s existence. At the same time as the language work requires efforts outside kindergarten as well. We see that the Sami Parliament’s initiatives work. Demand is high. There are very many who want a Sami -language kindergarten offer, and we see several local initiatives for the establishment of Sami kindergartens. In Oslo, the municipality is considering creating a Sami department, as the capacity is blown up. I hope that more municipalities will follow suit, especially in the areas that today do not have a Sami -language offer. Another important part of the Sami Parliament’s free Sami -language kindergarten scheme is that we have established development agreements with kindergartens. Which means that kindergartens undertake to implement language development measures based on strong language models. The goal is to strengthen the language work in the kindergarten and provide employees with good tools to promote the language development of the children. The Sami Parliament guides and follows up the kindergartens in their work on raising competence and quality development. The guide is adapted to the local needs of the kindergartens. However, we know that there are challenges, especially related to the great lack of Sami -language educators. In order to ensure that more children are given the opportunity to learn and use Sami in kindergarten, the Sami Parliament cannot settle for a single strategy. We have to work on several fronts at the same time. That is why we are focusing on scholarships for future educators, free Sami kindergarten services, development and strengthening of the daycare, as well as adult education for parents who want to give their children a stronger linguistic foundation at home. But we also need others to contribute to the effort. Here, both municipalities and state have the opportunity to contribute – with good pay conditions, increased efforts on recruitment and clarification of legislation. Today’s legislation is unclear and that it creates major challenges for Sami kindergartens. Therefore, the Sami Parliament has proposed to set up an expert group that will improve the Sami daycare and assess changes in the Kindergarten Act. This has now been followed up in the state budget for 2025, and the Sami Parliament and the Ministry of Education work together on the mandate for the group. In order for the languages ​​to survive, we must get new language users. This means that the education system, which was once a tool for research, must now be used for revitalization. Language must be learned, used and continued. That is why we are focusing on kindergartens, schools and adult education – we must have more strategies at the same time to succeed.

A child who can be Sami is valuable to the entire community. They are the future of the Sami language.

Maren Benedicte Nystad Storslett

Sami Council NSR