Conference Papers
The situation of the Samis
Jon Eldar Einejord
| Jon Eldar Einejord, |
The main task for a Sami writer or an artist might be to give his contribution to prevent the Sami languages and culture from drowning in the Anglo-American waves, and keep the Sami languages and culture from extinction because of the massive impact through the media from the majority peoples’ culture in the four countries where the Samis live, e.g. Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. There might be some 40.000-60.000 Samis altogether, but in Norway the Samis amount only to 1% of the population and in Sweden still less, perhaps 2 %o. The Sami speaking people are still fewer, speaking three different Sami languages. Through the ages a lot of Sami people have changed their main language and their national identity.
Nowadays Norway, Sweden and Finland have established their Sami Parliaments, to maintain politics on Sami culture and education. But the governments of these countries are reluctant to give their Sami Parliaments the rights or the possibility to decide how to use the natural resources in the areas where the Samis live.
The Samis have a nongovernmental organisation, The Sami Council, which works on the Samis’ common development as a nation. One aim is to increase the governments’ interest in strengthening the Sami cultural activities by economical means. On April 28 a conference was held in Finland on this subject. As usual the Norwegian authorities sent their representative to the conference, whereas the representation by the states of Sweden, Finland and Russia was lacking.
Jon Eldar Einejord