It was in January 2024 that the municipality of Piteå submitted the application and now the government has decided that Piteå will become Sweden’s 27th Sami administrative municipality.
– I feel relieved, by becoming an administrative municipality we can increase collective knowledge so it only feels positive and great fun, says Kata Nilsson (S), municipal councilor Piteå municipality.
“Home language must not become negative special treatment”
Kata Nilsson believes that the municipality has already stealthily started the work through dialogue and consultation with local Sami representatives.
Language teaching for children is a priority area.
– When it comes to home language teaching, it is very important that there is no negative special treatment where the children in question may miss regular lessons or fun breaks, so we have something to work with.
Kata Nilsson also hopes that the municipality will now be able to display the Sami more clearly. For example, concretely through signs in Sami.
– In general, I think that we need to emphasize that we are a Sami administrative area and that this means certain things, I think it is important to make the language visible in different ways, for example through signs in Sami, she says.