NORW 244
The Sámi: Traditions in Transition, spring 2021 (sophomore year)
Course Description
This interdisciplinary course explores the Sámi, an indigenous people living mainly in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Students first place the Sámi in a historical-cultural context by examining the Sámi’s social and economic systems, religion, customs, and values. The major portion of the course examines the Sámi primarily from within: the Sámi will present themselves through their literature, film, music, and art.
Course Content
Rationale
From my original proposal: This course takes a look at the Sámi, or the Norwegian indigenous groups. They have their own language and culture that has been systematically erased and undermined throughout history, by their own government. Their language is a large part of their identity, as it differs from classic Norwegian. Examining the marginalization of this group once again attempts to examine the ways in which linguistic discrimination and language itself function within society.
Final Presentation
This persuasive presentation focused on the importance of passing on the Sámi languages, all of which are endangered. The presentation examines features of the Sámi languages, their current status in Norway, and how they may be taught going forward. The slides are linked below.
Takeaways
My main takeaway from this course was just how endangered the Sámi languages are and how important it is to preserve them. I also learned just how many Sámi languages there are; prior to this course I thought there was only one. These languages have been systematically extinguished from Norwegian society for generations, and are only now beginning to receive the recognition they deserve. This course gave me more information on effective inclusion of minority languages, especially in an educational context.
Connections
The historical approach to this course was similar to NORW 260 (Introduction to Germanic Linguistics). Additionally, this course included the history of Germanic languages, and touched on the development of Sámi languages in general. The course page is linked below.