The History And Revitalization Of The Sami Languages
Author
The Sami languages have a long and complex history in the northern regions of Europe.
These languages belong to the Indigenous Sami people living in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
For many decades, governments tried to erase these languages through strict assimilation policies.
Today, a powerful revitalization movement is helping the Sami languages grow and thrive once again.
This guide covers the history, decline, and modern revival of the Sami languages.
Table of Contents:
The origins of the Sami languages
The Sami languages belong to the Uralic language family.
This means they’re distantly related to Finnish, Estonian, and Hungarian.
They aren’t related to Scandinavian languages like Norwegian or Swedish.
The Sami people have lived in the region known as Sápmi for thousands of years.
Sápmi stretches across the northern parts of four different countries.
Over time, the Sami languages developed into several distinct regional variations.
A history of suppression
Starting in the 1800s, the Sami people faced harsh assimilation policies.
Governments wanted the Sami to adopt the dominant national cultures and languages.
Norway called this policy “Norwegianization”, and similar efforts happened in Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
Sami children were often forced to attend residential boarding schools.
Teachers strictly forbade the children from speaking their native Sami languages.
Many Sami people eventually stopped passing the language down to their own children to avoid punishment.
This caused a massive and rapid decline in the number of native Sami speakers.
The turning point for Sami rights
The cultural landscape finally began to change in the 1970s and 1980s.
Indigenous rights movements gained global attention during this time.
A major environmental protest in Norway, known as the Alta controversy, sparked renewed Sami pride.
Sami Parliaments were soon established in Norway, Sweden, and Finland to give the Sami a political voice.
The Sami languages were eventually granted official legal status in several northern municipalities.
Modern revitalization efforts
Today, there’s a massive effort to revive and protect the Sami languages.
One of the most successful methods has been the creation of language nests.
Language nests are total immersion daycare centers where children hear and speak only Sami.
Sami media has also expanded greatly in recent years.
You can now find Sami television broadcasts, radio stations, and podcasts.
Many young adults who didn’t learn Sami as children are now reclaiming it.
They’re proudly speaking their ancestral language in everyday life.
Mun oahpan sámegiela.
Sami regional variations and current status
It’s important to understand that there isn’t just one single Sami language.
There are nine living Sami languages, though their speaker numbers vary drastically.
North Sami is by far the most widely spoken, accounting for about three-quarters of all speakers.
Other variations, like Ume Sami and Pite Sami, have very few native speakers left.
Here’s a breakdown of the main Sami regional variations and their current status.
| Sami Language | Primary Region | Current Vitality |
|---|---|---|
| North Sami | Norway, Sweden, Finland | Endangered (Approx. 20,000 speakers) |
| Lule Sami | Norway, Sweden | Severely Endangered (Approx. 1,000 speakers) |
| South Sami | Norway, Sweden | Severely Endangered (Approx. 600 speakers) |
| Inari Sami | Finland | Severely Endangered (Approx. 400 speakers) |
| Skolt Sami | Finland, Russia | Severely Endangered (Approx. 300 speakers) |
| Kildin Sami | Russia | Severely Endangered (Approx. 300 speakers) |
| Pite Sami | Sweden, Norway | Critically Endangered (Under 50 speakers) |
| Ume Sami | Sweden, Norway | Critically Endangered (Under 20 speakers) |
| Ter Sami | Russia | Critically Endangered (Under 10 speakers) |
Best resources to learn Sami today
If you want to support the revitalization of Sami, learning the language is the best way to start.
Here are the most helpful resources available today.
1. Talk In Sami
Talk In Sami is our highly recommended platform dedicated entirely to teaching the Sami language.
We provide interactive lessons, audio from native speakers, and simple grammar explanations.
2. Oahpa!
Oahpa is a free online learning program created by the University of Tromsø.
It offers helpful vocabulary drills and grammar exercises for several Sami languages.
The Sámi Parliament website provides excellent cultural context and educational materials.
