Oummu rââst raaj – People cross the borders
Oummu rââst raaj – People cross the borders is a project on revitalization of Skolt Saami language and culture in Inari and Sør-Varanger municipalities. Project duration is September 2024 – August 2026.
Ä’vv Skolt Saami Museum is taking part in this cross-border co-operation as one of the main partners on the Norwegian side. The project, which was launched in Sør-Varanger in November 2024, is co-funded by the Interreg Aurora Programme. Its aim is strengthening the Skolt Saami language and culture across the border. As a result of this 2-year project, a common language arena for Skolt Saami living in Norway and Finland will be established.
Nuõrttsäämkiõll, the Skolt Saami language, is on the UNESCO endangered languages list, and has a critical status in both Finland, Norway and Russia. The overall number of Skolt Saami speakers is low. According to Torkel Rasmussen, Associated Professor at the UiT, in Norway there are about 400 Skolt Sami, and 10-12 speakers. In Finland the number of Skolt Saami is estimated to be 600-700, with about 300 speakers. It is of vital importance to increase the number of speakers in order to preserve the language.
In past years, interest from the Skolt Saami community to take back their own language and culture has sufficiently increased. In Northern Finland systematic language revitalisation work has already shown good results. Building closer connections between Norway and Finland is essential for Skolt Saami communities across the borders.
Skolt Saami language has no official status in Norway – unlike the situation in Finland. The Sámi Parliament in Norway has adopted Skolt Saami as one of its official languages, but much more efforts are needed to keep the language alive. Ä’vv Skolt Saami Museum – opened in 2017 in Neiden – became a significant contribution to revitalizing of Skolt Saami culture, and its competence will be frequently used by the project.
Sør-Varanger municipality is leading the project on the Norwegian side together with Ä’vv Skolt Saami Museum and Norrõs Skolt Saami Association with support of the Sámi Parliament in Norway. Use of local knowledge and expertise is especially important in promoting Skolt Saami culture. Therefore, Pikene på Broen, Sør-Varanger Culture School, Pasvik Folk High School, UiT The Arctic University of Norway and Norwegian Barents Secretariat have also been invited to the project’s network on the Norwegian side. Cooperation with Inari municipality – the lead EU partner of the project – and Skolt Saami institutions on the Finnish side will contribute to the local activities.
Many exciting activities are planned by the project. Development and piloting of an online Skolt Saami language course by the Sámi Education Institute in Inari, summer and winter camps to explore Skolt Saami traditions, joint study tours to Skolt Saami traditional settlements in Finland and Norway, joint performances of Skolt Saami artists and Pikene på Broen are a few to mention.
More about the project (in Finnish): https://www.inari.fi/fi/palvelut/sivistyspalvelut/people-cross-the-borders-koltansaamen-kielen-ja-kulttuurin-edistamishanke-2024-2026.html
Information about the project at Interreg Aurora webpage: https://www.interregaurora.eu/approved-projects/oummu-raast-raaj-people-cross-the-borders/
Contacts:
Maria Dianova
Project leader on the Norwegian side, Sør-Varanger Municipality
Joni Gauriloff
Project manager, Inari municipality
Mari Gauriloff
Project worker, Inari municipality
Project partners
FINLAND
Lead partner EU: Inari municipality. Webpage hyperlink https://www.inari.fi/fi/etusivu.html
Skolt Saami Siida Administration, Sevettijärvi. Webpage https://www.kolttasaamelaiset.fi/en/skolt-sami-siida-council/general-information/
Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation, Sevettijärvi. Webpage https://www.kolttasaamelaiset.fi/en/skolt-sami-cultural-foundation/yleista/
Sámi Parliament, Inari. Webpage https://samediggi.fi/
Sámi Education Institute, SAKK, Inari. Webpage https://www.sogsakk.fi/
University of Oulu, Giellagas Institute forSámi Studies. Webpage https://www.oulu.fi/en
NORWAY
Lead partner Norway: Sør-Varanger municipality. Webpage https://www.sor-varanger.kommune.no/
Ä’vv Skolt Saami Museum, Neiden. Webpage https://dvmv.no/vv-skoltesamisk-muse/hjem/
Tana and Varanger Museum Siida, Tana/Varangerbotn. Webpage https://dvmv.no/
Norrõs Skolt Saami Association, Kirkenes
Sámi Parliament, Karasjok. Webpage https://sametinget.no/
Pikene på Broen, Kirkenes. Webpage https://www.pikene.no/
Sør-Varanger Culture School, Kirkenes. Webpage https://www.kulturskolen.info/
Pasvik Folkhøgskole. Webpage https://www.pasvikfolkehogskole.no/
NIBIO Svanhovd, Pasvik. Webpage https://www.nibio.no/om-nibio/adresser/svanhovd
UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø. Webpage https://uit.no/
Norwegian Barents Secretariat, Kirkenes. Webpage https://barents.no/nb
Activities of the project are devided into three Work Packages.
Work package 1. Cooperation and knowledge exchange between the institutions for cross-border Skolt Saami language and culture revitalisation work
1.1 Organizing a kick-off seminar and launching event in Inari and Sør-Varanger
1.2 Mapping the Skolt Saami language and culture professionals across the border and reaching out to the Skolt Saami community at wider scale
1.3 Developing a road map for further strengthening of existing cross-border Skolt Saami culture and language centres in Finland and Norway
1.4 Organizing a concluding seminar
Work Package 2. Developing new cross-border learning opportunities and competences in Skolt Saami language and culture
2.1 Translation and adjustment of the existing Finnish teaching materials for the Norwegian use
2.2 Piloting of the Skolt Saami language and culture basic study course for the Norwegian side
2.3 Developing cooperation in early childhood education and school education in Skolt Saami language between Inari and Sør-Varanger municipalities
Work Package 3. Enhancing culture: measures for continuation of Skolt Saami traditions and rediscovering Skolt Saami culture and identity
3.1 OrganizingSkolt Saami language and culture camps (2 summer and 1 winter)
3.2 Developing and arranginggenealogy circles and history courses with researches support for the project
3.3 Organising new cross-border Skolt Saami culture and language activities for people of all ages on a regular basis: joint study tours to Skolt Saami traditional settlements in Inari and Sør-Varanger; joint hikes; culture and language café; cooperation on geographical names; joint performances of Skolt Saami artists at cross-border festivals and many other
