Already a few weeks ago, when the Swedish government presented the budget and it turned out that Sámi Giellagáldus would get less money, there were worried voices and talk of closure.
Sámi Giellagáldus is a co-Nordic Sami linguistic organization, which, among other things, works with language research and standardization of the Sami language.
– This is a direct disaster for the Sámi languages, said Ole Henrik Magga, vice chairman of Sámi Giellagáldu.
On the Finnish side, the board of the Sami Parliament has informed the board of Sámi Giellagáldu that it cannot fully finance a third of the budget need.
“The Sámi Parliament is concerned”
When Norway’s government presented its budget on Monday, disappointed voices were heard that the promises of more money for languages had not been fulfilled.
Now the Sámi parliament in the three countries has made a joint statement with the following message:
“The Sami parliaments in Norway, Sweden and Finland are concerned about how budget cuts may affect the Sami languages. The UN Decade for Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) provides a unique opportunity to strengthen these languages, but it requires the support of the authorities.”
Requires immediate action
The cuts create uncertainty about the future of Sami language development, says the statement signed by Håkan Jonsson, chairman of the board on the Swedish side, Silje Karine Muotka, president of the Sami Parliament in Norway, and Pirita Näkkäläjärvi, president of the Finnish Sami Parliament.
The statement ends with:
“We call for immediate action to preserve the grants to Sámi Giellagáldu and ensure the future of the Sámi languages!”
SVT Sápmi is looking for Sami Parliament chairman Håkan Jonsson and culture minister Parisa Liljestrand (M) for a comment.