They have been at it since 2016 – and there is still a long way to go before the Old Testament arrives in Lule Sami. But when it is ready in three years, the Bible Society hopes that it will contribute both linguistically and culturally to Sami society.
The project group and Lule Sami translators and language consultants recently met at a Lule Sami translation conference in Tysfjord.
Bible text in mother tongue
Oddvar Andersen, who is the translator in the project, grew up in a family whose first language was Lule Sami.
– Hearing the Bible text in my native language gives a completely different experience than hearing it in another language. During an evening service in Drag/Helland church on March 27, I heard my translation colleague Karin Tuolja read a new Bible text from Sálmájgirjje/Psaltaren in Lule Sami. It was a strong experience, he says.
The Norwegian church and the Laestadian congregation at the site were very interested in the Bible translation and they use the Lule Sami Bible text in their services and meetings, according to Mörk.
– It was so nice to see two confirmands standing and reading Psalm 23 in Lule Sami from their mobile phones.
He continues:
– Language is important for identity and reconciliation. It is a human right to hear one’s language at important events in life, such as baptism, confirmation, marriage and funeral, says Hans-Olav Mörk.
Lule Sami translation
In the Lule Sami project, language standardization and language development are an important part of the work. But it’s not easy, notes Mörk. The translators need help from both biblical scholars and experts on biblical texts.
The project is a collaboration between the Bible Societies in Sweden and Norway. The Bible Society hopes to have completed a complete Lule Sami Bible with the New Testament and the Old Testament by 2030. It will then also be made available digitally on bibeln.se and bibel.no.