Norwegianisation: the idea that Sami should become Norwegian

You may have heard of the Norwegianisation policy, but did you know that it lasted for more than 100 years? From around 1850 to the end of the 20th century, the Norwegian authorities pursued a policy towards the Sami, Kvens and Norwegian Finns that had serious negative consequences for their cultures, languages, identities, and living conditions. The Norwegianisation policy was based on the view that "the only salvation for the Lapps is to be absorbed by the Norwegian nation" . That the solution to their hardships was for Sámi people to forget their identity and become Norwegian. In the 19th century, the Sami were defined as a foreign people, often characterized as uncivilized, wild nomads. Racist attitudes and notions of racial hierarchy helped to shape the policies the authorities implemented. For example, the Sámi language was not allowed in schools from the second half of the 19th century, until the 1960s. King Olav, King Harald and former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik have all officially apologized for the abuses the Sami people were subjected to during the Norwegianisation period. A number of legal and practical measures have been implemented over the last three decades to remedy the policy and its consequences. Language loss is one of the most concrete and devastating results of the Norwegianisation policy. A large part of the Sami population lost their original language due to not being able to speak or hear it at schools, where children resided without their parents. A large proportion of the Sami population does not speak Sami today due to Norwegianisation. This policy also impacted Sámi students’ academic potential, as many Sami children went to school for years without understanding their teachers. For many at that time, being Sami was associated with shame, and so they left their Sami identity. Today, many find their way back to their Sami roots, and more learn the language they were not allowed to grow up with. In June 2018, the Storting decided to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the Norwegianisation policy and the injustices that were committed. Among other things, the Commission studies the long-term effects of Norwegianisation policy, and presents measures to promote greater equality between minorities and majorities in the population.