Sami place names in the multilingual landscape in Norway
Sami Parliamentary Councilor Mikkel Eskil Mikkelsen (NSR) has written a column about Sami place names in the multilingual landscape in Norway.
Have you ever thought about how your mother tongue embraces you; how much is your language used, seen and heard in society? Have you noticed how weak the Sami languages are in the linguistic landscape in Norway? And have you thought about why that is so? The Sámediggi Council has found the Sámediggi’s plenary to discuss this during the plenary week in March this year. This is to highlight the importance of the work of making Sami languages visible in society, so that the Sami languages have the natural place to which they are entitled in society.
Place names are of great importance to everyone in the community. Place names have a particularly important role in language and communication, and they make it easier for us to coordinate and communicate with others. It is not without reason that people have given names to fjords and mountains – it is precisely to separate these from each other, and to give the places the peculiarities they possess.
For the Sami Parliament, it is important that Sami place names are made more visible. We want more Sami place names to be shown on both maps and signs. Central to this work is the recognition that the Sami language is equal to Norwegian, and has the status of an indigenous language – according to the new language law.
The fact that the City of Oslo is now working to adopt Sami parallel names for the municipality and be challenged to distinguish and make the Sami language visible is an important milestone for the Sami language. This is important not only for Oslo Municipality, but for the entire state, which must break the norm and the understanding that the Kingdom of Norway is monolingual. Norway as a state has not yet managed to fully embrace its Sami language.
Even though we are in the year 2022, Sami place names and Sami signs are still facing opposition from several quarters. Not only are there hunting and fishing associations working against the Sami languages, but this is also happening at the municipal level. An example of this is Narvik municipality, which did not want to have a Sami parallel name, even though the municipality is located in a Sami area. Maybe it is a question of ignorance and lack of awareness of the Sami? Or maybe some of the background lies – not in the place name itself – but in what the visibility of the Sami name represents? This clearly shows that the Kingdom of Norway is still struggling with remnants of the Norwegianisation policy, and that Sami is being tried to be defined away from the public.
Even if one were to believe that in 2022 there had been more awareness of Sami languages in Norway, but then not. Not too long ago, when filling water at airports in Norway, there was a sign with the word water translated into the herb language from east to west, but not into Norway’s own indigenous language. This shows that society is not aware of the Sami languages and the situation and status of the languages. It shows that the Sami are not in the back of their minds, and there are always some who have to remind us that we are still here, and the languages are still used.
In many places, however, the Sami are clearly visible, and that pleases my language heart. We have got Sami signs in Norway – Norga ~ Vuodna ~ Nöörje – at most border crossings now, and several Sami place names are on signs. The visibility of cultural and linguistic diversity is important, because it is the very core of Norway as a nation, which is founded on the territory of people – Sami and Norwegians.
As I said, place names are important for everyone, as both an identity marker and a recognition of the language, which often creates debate. When the municipalities are to adopt Sami place names, there are often discussions about the spelling of the names, and whether it is the correct name that is adopted. I think this is positive, because it seriously shows that Sami languages are living languages, and that the place names are in use by the local population. The fact that different localities have Sami names also indicates that the areas have been used for a long time.
For we must remember the history that the Sami people and the Sami languages have gone through over the last 150 years, when many different and dramatic strategies were used to remove and make invisible Sami place names. Land sales regulations and instructions were made for Norwegian names to be given priority. An example of this is an instruction from 1895 which states that «Where Lappish names occur, emphasis must be placed on having the Norwegian name or the translation of the Lappish also given on the spot. The Norwegian name is endorsed as the main name with the Lapland name in parentheses and in writing without print. ». Thus, the Sami names, both names of measured property, as well as place names on maps, were Norwegianized and made invisible in public.
Even though we are in 2022 and the world and society have developed into the positive, we still see traces and consequences of these provisions. The Sami community has now long worked to make the Sami language visible in society, among other things by getting a Sami sign. This is a work that the Sami Parliament and the Sami place name service will continue with. After 150 years of Norwegianisation of the Sami language and Sami place names, we are in a process of decolonization, where the goal is to make the Sami language visible in the linguistic landscape of society.
We also see that many are passionate about place names and there are many good projects that promote our place names. This is something that we will continue to support, at the same time as we encourage other actors to help us with the visibility of Sami place names and Sami signs.
Áltá, Álaheajju, Alta and Alattio. A dear child has many names, and all names are equally valuable.