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58-577: The history of the Sámi people is one of marginalisation and Norwegianization – the government policy of forced assimilation of the Sámi into Norwegian society. Christian missions among the Sámi people go back to the Middle Ages , but from 1700 the Protestant and pietistic mission among the Sámi, together with state colonialism, brought lasting changes to the Sámi society (as well as religion). From around 1850

116-655: A Kven culture fund, road and other signs in Kven, Kven names in official maps, and museums and centers for Kven language and culture. Kven Finn Association or Kveeni Suomi Liitto in Finnish and Kvensk Finsk Riksforbund in Norwegian is an NGO who works for the rights of the Kven and Finn people in Norway. It was founded together with similar organizations in Sweden and Finland in 1999, that jointly uses

174-475: A Kven. Therefore, other studies have estimated the number of Kvens to be about 50,000–60,000, based on the criteria that at least one grandparent spoke Kven . But many of these may consider themselves to be Norwegian or Sami or a combination. Danish/Norwegian tax records from the 16th century already list some Kvens living in North Norway . Also, the famous map of Scandinavia by Olaus Magnus from 1539 shows

232-471: A dialect of Finnish, and whether the Kven language or Kven dialect of Finnish should be taught in schools. Kven and Sami people share a common history of Norwegianization . However, post-Norwegianization policies have treated them differently. Sami people have been recognized as the indigenous people in Northern Norway. They have their own schools and parliament, and they elect three of the six members for

290-414: A government report about the history and rights of the Kven population, improving the media coverage of Kven issues, and for the Norwegian government to establish a secretary ( statssekretær ) for Kven issues. In addition, reading and writing classes at the beginner to advanced level, establishing a Kven kindergarten, and to incorporate the Kven language in all education levels in Norway. Also, to establish

348-443: A more nationalistic and civilizational mindset developed over the course of the 1700s and 1800s, during which Sámi language and culture came to be regarded as "feral" and "devilish". As a result, the government's and Church's perception of Sámi languages shifted as well. After this, the languages were regarded as instruments for Sámi spirituality and culture, and thus something that needed to be suppressed. Some historians consider

406-399: A negative view of Sámi language and culture. Sámi ethnicity was grouped together with the blind, deaf, and mentally deranged in public censuses until 1920. As such, they were thought of as " abnormal ", an idea that had its roots in the concept of ethnic cleansing . The process of Norwegianization resulted in the near elimination of Sámi languages in Norway. Scholars have referred to

464-461: A possible Kven settlement roughly in between today's Tromsø and Lofoten named "Berkara Qvenar". Kvens of this time are often connected to the birkarl organization in northern Sweden. In some early documents Kvens are also grouped together with the Sami people , who are the indigenous people of Central and Northern Norway. The Kven language is a Finnic language . Kven differs from Finnish since

522-513: A reminder of the reputed cleanliness of the Kvens. The silver-ware is likewise an important part of Kven clothing and the position of kvensølvesmed (Norwegian for 'kven silver smith') is an important one. Kadonu Loru is the only pop music single ever recorded in the Kven language. It is based on an old Kven nursery rhyme about making sausages. The artists are Karine Jacobsen and Kine Johansen respectively from Børselv and Lakselv . The single

580-549: A very rough assimilation policy held the Sámi people in a firm grip until 1980. This period may be referred to as the Dark Ages of the Sami people. This assimilation policy permeated the public officials, schools and the Church of Norway. In parts of Sápmi the Sámi culture and language was eradicated during this period. Throughout the nineteen-eighties, an increasing awareness of the rights of

638-608: Is Rávdná Turi Henriksen ( temporary constituted ). According to the statutes of the Sami Church Council (KM 12/92) the main aims are: Norwegianization The Norwegianization of the Sámi ( Norwegian : fornorsking av samer ) was an official policy carried out by the Norwegian government directed at the Sámi people and later the Kven people of northern Norway, in which the goal

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696-754: Is also active regarding reviving the folk music traditions and documenting the history of Finnish speaking people throughout Fennoscandinavia. The Kven institute ( Kainun institutti in Kven/Finnish and Kvensk institutt in Norwegian) is a center for Kven culture and language located in Børselv in Porsangi Municipality (Porsanger) in Norway . The Kven Language Board that was established in April 2007. It consists of

754-562: Is published each month. The newspaper writes mostly about Kven issues, and about the work of strengthening Finnish language and culture in Norway. In addition the paper has stories about other Finnish organizations in Norway, and about other Finnish minorities in the Nordic and surrounding countries. The newspaper's Chief editor is Liisa Koivulehto. Baaski is a Kven culture festival held in Nordreisa Municipality . The first festival

812-540: The Alta Controversy and establishment of the Sámi parliament in 1987 as the end of the policy. Minde divides the Norwegian assimilation policy into four phases. In this period, two different belief systems and ideologies influenced the debate concerning assimilation policies. One branch argued for the active use of Sámi languages in educational and religious environments, while the other argued that all education should be conducted in Norwegian, in order to make

870-406: The Kven language was recognized as a minority language in Norway. There is a theory among some academic groups that due to the discrimination and suppression by the Norwegian authorities the term Kven became derogatory in the late 19th century. Therefore, many Kvens preferred to be called kainulaiset . But with the revitalization of the Kven culture in the 1970s, Kvens themselves started using

928-403: The narrative that portrayed the Sámi people as underdeveloped and uncivilized had its origins in theological convictions, and that these informed the subsequent sense of Norwegian Nationalism. Historian Henry Minde and psychologist Stephen James Minton argue that the assimilation of the Sámi population at the hands of the Norwegian government began in earnest in 1851, with Minde identifying

986-515: The "Norwegian Race". In 1923, he wrote that "the Lapps", a slur used on the Sámi population, lacked both the ability and the motivation to use their language in written form. Furthermore, he described them as the most underdeveloped and loathsome of groups in Finnmark, claiming that they made up a disproportionate portion of the people in need of psychiatric care or special education . The introduction of

1044-566: The 1630s, religious materials were translated into Sámi languages to be used in the Church and for educational purposes. The most intensive period of missionary work took place between 1650 and 1750. It was organized by the Danish-Norwegian state , and was led by the Norwegian priest Thomas von Westen . In 1714, he became involved in the Danish-Norwegian " Lapplandsmisjonen ", which conducted missionary work in Sámi areas. In 1717, he

1102-469: The 1930 census there were 8,215 registered Kvens in Troms and Finnmark. In 1950, 1,439 people reported that they used the Finnish language, in Troms (58 people) and Finnmark (1,381 people). In 2001, the number of Kvens was estimated to be about 10,000 to 15,000 in a parliamentary inquiry on national minorities in Norway. However, estimating the number of Kvens is difficult since there is no official definition of

1160-480: The 7-year school in 1936 represented a further tightening of the assimilation policy, as it resulted in the Finnish language being banned in educational settings. Wexelsenplakaten of 1898, which forbade the use of Sámi languages in school settings, continued to be enforced throughout the 1950s, and, in some parts of the country, into the 1960s. On 1 January 1956, during Einar Gerhardsen's third Cabinet , "Samekomiteen"

1218-593: The Finnic Meänkieli language spoken in northern Sweden. Today, both are officially recognised minority languages in the areas where the languages are spoken. Finnish , Meänkieli and Sami are all officially recognised minority languages in the Kiruna Municipality in Sweden. Ruijan Kaiku is a bi-lingual newspaper ( Kven / Finnish and Norwegian ) that is published in Tromsø , Norway . Currently one issue

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1276-473: The Kven population was in effect isolated from other Finnish-speaking people. The Kven language has come to incorporate many Norwegian loanwords, and Finnish words that are no longer used in Finland are still used. In a 2005 government report, the number of people speaking Kven in Norway was estimated to be between 2,000 and 8,000, depending on the criteria used. Finnish is the preferred language of instruction among

1334-578: The Kvens recognized, similarly to the Sami people, as an indigenous people in Norway. This has made it important for some Kvens to show that their history stretches further back in time than commonly believed. There has been some recent unofficial adoption of the word "Kainu" as the new name for "Kven", in accordance with the hypotheses put forward by Finnish historians Jouko Vahtola and Kyösti Julku . Vahtola has hypothesized that words "Kven" and "Kainu(u)" are interchangeable . In 2018, The Storting commissioned The Truth and Reconciliation Commission to lay

1392-441: The Kvens. 90% of the kids in the county of Troms and Finnmark that had a right to choose between Finnish and Kven chose Finnish. In the 1990s there was a debate among Kvens whether they should be considered as an ethnic group of their own, or whether they were Finnish Norwegians. As well, during the process of legal recognition of the Kven language, there was a debate as to whether it should be considered an actual language or merely

1450-490: The Norwegian censuses in the period 1845 to 1930. From the 18th century the Kvens started to comprise a significant part of the population in Northern Norway. In 1845 13.3% of the population in Finnmark, and 3.2% in Troms, considered themselves as Kvens. In 1854 the numbers increased to respectively, 19.9% and 7.0%. The peak was in 1875, with respectively 24.2% and 7.7%. The ratios were reduced to respectively 20.2% and 3.7%, in 1890, and 13.8% and 2.0% in 1900 (all numbers from). In

1508-572: The Norwegianization as effective as possible. They were, however, united in their goal of fully assimilating the Sámi population into Norwegian culture and society. A fund was established by the Storting in 1851, with the express purpose of financing the Norwegianization of Sámi people. The money was used for a number of purposes, among which were the education of teachers, pay rises for teachers with particularly effective Norwegianization methods, and

1566-469: The Norwegianization of the Sámi as a cultural genocide . These include the human rights lawyer Láilá Susanne Vars and psychologist Stephen James Minton. In 1923, the Norwegian philologist Torleiv Hannaas referred to the " folkemord " caused by the Norwegian school and language policy on the Sami. " Folkemord " was accepted later as the official Norwegian translation of the term genocide. Similar policies occurred in other European countries during

1624-662: The Sámi church life. In 1997 the General Synod acknowledged its role in the assimilation process and declared it would make good of its mistakes. The council has seven members. One member is to be a bishop appointed by the Bishops’ Conference , and one appointed by the Sami Parliament. The General Synod elects five other members, among these there is to be a representative from some of the Sami languages in Norway ( Southern Sami , Lule Sami and Northern Sami ). The leader of

1682-411: The Sámi people through its harsh policy of Norwegianization." In the Middle Ages , the Church conducted missionary work in Sámi areas, initially prioritizing areas at the coast or around the fjords , where an increasing amount of the Norwegian population was settling. The Church and the missionaries decided early on that they should preach to the Sámi in their mother tongue . As such, starting in

1740-459: The Sámi people was still not considered to be an ethnic minority, but rather referred to as Sámi-speaking Norwegians. This was because the government thought that a person's relationship to their Sámi culture and identity should be determined by themselves. However, the right to use Sámi languages in education, including as a primary language, was instated in 1967. Simultaneously, an increased sense of identity sprang forth in Sámi communities. From

1798-531: The actions of the Norwegian State, and made an official apology on behalf of the government to the Sámi and Kven people , becoming the first representative to do so: "The state of Norway was founded on the territory of two peoples - the Sámi people and the Norwegians. Sámi history is closely intertwined with Norwegian history. Today, we express our regret on behalf of the state for the injustice committed against

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1856-490: The assimilation policy of the 1800s to be a result of the increased nationalism that arose during the establishment of the Norwegian nation state following the Norwegian Constituent Assembly election in 1814. Others highlight the links between the theology behind the missionary work of the 1600s and 1700s, and the ideology that was used to justify the later assimilation policies. It has been concluded that

1914-485: The board of Finnmark Estate (the organization owning about 95% of the land in the county of Finnmark). Some Kvens believe the distribution of rights and public funds has favored the Sami people too much, whereas on the Sami side there are people who think the Norwegian minority politics and public funding should focus mostly on the Sami people. Lately, the Norwegian Kven Organization has attempted to get

1972-620: The council is elected by the General Synod. The Secretary General and the rest of the staff at the Secretariat of the council holds currently offices together with the Natioral Council of the Church of Norway  [ Wikidata ] in Oslo . A process to move the Secretariat is currently in motion. The current leader of the Sami Church Council is Tore Johnsen and the Secretary General

2030-732: The discrimination the Norwegian authorities are directing towards the Kvens/FInns and the Saami. 100:1 in favour of the Saami in economic terms, at least. Furthermore, the government's bad treatment of Finnish as the de-facto ethnic language for the Kvens/Finns. In this regard, the Kven Finn Association has started a grant for young students in high school to motivate more young people to learn Finnish (Finnish, Kven, or even Meänkieli). The Kven Finn Association has local chapters all over Norway and

2088-453: The first boarding schools for Sámi and Kven pupils were established. These were also used as chapels , and the priests acted as de facto members of the school boards . The purpose of the boarding schools was to isolate the pupils from their roots and communities, thus making the assimilation process more effective. At the same time, the Norwegian government conducted a systematic Norwegianization of place names in Finnmark, replacing

2146-516: The foundation for recognition of the experiences of the Kven subject to Norwegianization and the subsequent consequences. The Kven flag was hoisted at the Kiruna City Hall in Sweden on 16 March 2013, at 11:00, in celebration and honour of the first annual Day of the Kvens. Hereafter, that date is meant to be recognised wider in the Kven communities of the north and by others as well. The date for

2204-407: The hands of the Norwegian government. In the same vein, Norwegian authorities have avoided taking responsibility for the consequences the assimilation policies had on both private individuals and the Sámi population as a group. The purpose of the assimilation policy was undoubtedly to eradicate the culture, language, and history that contributed to the formation of Sámi and Kven/Finnish identity. This

2262-421: The ideological reasoning behind the assimilation policy continued to evolve, influenced in part by the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905. Around this time, it became legal to deny Sámi and Kven people the right to lease or buy land in Finnmark. The scope of the Norwegianization process is clearly illustrated in the ethnic identities reported in censuses from this period. In 1930, 61% of

2320-413: The increased resistance from the Sámi people, the Norwegian government continued to enforce their assimilation policy well into the 1900s. The influence of social darwinism on Norwegian politics continued to be evident. Christen Andreas Brygfjeld (1863-1952), who had a central role in the country's assimilation policy, was clearly influenced by racist ideology, claiming that the "Sámi race" was inferior to

2378-502: The indigenous peoples became visible both in the Norwegian and the Sámi society. The awakening had begun for the Sámi people in the beginning of the 20th century and during the so-called Alta controversy it became a hot topic among the Norwegian politicians as well. In 1989 the Sámi people were granted their own parliament, the Sámediggi . In 1992 the General Synod in the Church of Norway decided to establish an organ to oversee and work for

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2436-407: The mid-1970s, the Sámi people begun to be thought of as an indigenous population , and the fight for Sámi rights was reframed as part of an international movement . " Samerettsutvalget " was established in the 1980s, with a mandate to assess the political and cultural rights of the Sámi people. Despite this, there has never been a public investigation into the treatment of Sámi or Kven people at

2494-526: The name Kvenlandsförbundet (Kveenimaayhistys). Kvenlandsförbundet created the Kvenflagg. The Kven Finn Association as a part of Kvenlandsförbundet is administrating the participation of the Kven people at the Finno-Ugric World Congress. The organization reports to international bodies on how Norway is living up to various International Law conventions. The organization is very much concerned about

2552-511: The occasion was chosen from the signing in 1328 of a state treaty between Sweden and the Birkarls , known as Tälje Charter ("Tälje stadga" in Swedish). In that treaty, the king of Sweden guaranteed them their trading rights in the north (translation from Latin last printed in 1995, Wallerström, page 48). In the past, the Kven language spoken in Norway was considered a dialect of Finnish , much like

2610-548: The original Sámi names with Norwegian ones. This was done in order to normalize and historicize Norwegian settlement in Sámi areas. This phase of the Norwegianization was ideologically grounded in nationalism and social darwinism. Not all communities were affected during this period. Local government correspondences in the Sami and Kven languages were found in the archives of Kistrand between 1860 and 1910, indicating that some communities avoided or did not implement as strong of assimilatory processes as others. In this period,

2668-573: The population in Kvænangen Municipality reported that they were Sámi (44%) or Kven (17%), while 39% described themselves as ethnically Norwegian. In the census from 1950, 0% of the people in the same area reported that they were of Sámi or Kven ethnicity. In the time leading up to the First World War , the Sámi opposition to the assimilation policy grew stronger. During the 1906 Norwegian parliamentary election , Sámi politician Isak Saba

2726-645: The rewarding of schoolchildren who were quick to learn Norwegian. The regulations for schools with Sámi and Kven pupils in Finnmark county and northern Troms county became increasingly strict throughout the later half of the 1800s. The opportunity to use Sámi language as part of the education became more and more limited. Around 1870, the Sámi became the subject of negative scientific attention. The teachings of phrenology were used in order to determine their race and intelligence. To this end, Sámi graves were opened and their skeletons removed. In 1899, Wexelsenplakaten

2784-560: The same period, including Swedification in Sweden, Danification in Denmark, and Germanization in Germany. Kven people Kvens ( Kven : kvääni ; Finnish : kveeni ; Norwegian : kvener ; Swedish : kväner ; Northern Sami : kveanat ) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic group indigenous to the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia. In 1996, Kvens were granted minority status in Norway, and in 2005

2842-405: The term. However, even in the 1990s there was a debate whether the Norwegian terms finne , finsk , or finskætted (respectively a Finnish person, Finnish, and of Finnish origin) should be used instead. However, today the term Kven is accepted and used, for example, in the name of the Kven organization in Norway, Norske Kveners Forbund . The Kvens were registered as a separate group in

2900-536: Was argued that they needed to succumb to the Norwegian nation state . After the Second World War , the race based argument for assimilation lost significant ideological pull. This was also the period in time in which Norway's welfare system was cemented. As such, the continued assimilation policy was framed as part of the social development of Sámi areas. In 1997, the King of Norway, HM King Harald V acknowledged

2958-469: Was elected as a representative for Arbeiderpartiet . In 1907, Just Quigstad published a book that documented the Norwegianization process up until that point. He was also one of the first people to argue for the Sámi people as an ethnic group with claim to their own rights. The opposition against the Norwegianization culminated in 1917, when the first Sámi Assembly took place in Trondheim. However, despite

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3016-407: Was established. The committee 's attitude signaled an important break with the politics and perspectives of the Norwegian government's assimilation policy. It argued that the government's policy concerning the Sámi population should focus on strengthening the position of Sámi people as a group, and proposed a number of measures aimed at achieving equal rights between the Sámi and Norwegians. However,

3074-472: Was in June 2007, but it is intended to be an annual event. The responsible organizers is Nordreisa municipality, and the first festival director was Johanne Gaup. While the Kven costume ( Kväänipuku ) was only 'designed' in the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s it builds on older Kven fashions and is intended to strengthen Kven identity. Much of it is in a simple white colour, which beyond it's historical use serves as

3132-474: Was involved in the establishment of the school Seminarium Lapponicum in Trondheim , in which teachers, priests and missionaries were educated in order to conduct Sámi missionary work. Westen contributed with education in Sámi language and literature, and additionally developed the first Sámi textbooks. In the beginning, the missionary work and Christian education was carried out in Sámi languages. However,

3190-447: Was passed, an official instruction which forbade Sámi people and Kvens from acting as educators in multilingual schools. This was the beginning of a full-blown assimilation policy, in which the government stated that the goal was to reduce the sense of identity and community within minority groups , and to utilize public institutions in order to foster stronger feelings of Norwegian nationalism in Kven and Sámi communities. In 1901,

3248-412: Was published by Iđut . The Norwegian Kven Organization ( Ruijan Kveeniliitto in Kven/Finnish and Norske Kveners Forbund in Norwegian) was established in 1987, and has currently about 700 members. The organization has local branches in: Skibotn , Børselv , Nord-Varanger , Tana , Lakselv , Alta , northern Troms , Tromsø , and Østlandet . The tasks of the organisation include working for

3306-440: Was to assimilate non-Norwegian-speaking native populations into an ethnically and culturally uniform Norwegian population. The assimilation process began in the 1700s, and was at that point motivated by a clear religious agenda. Over the course of the 1800s it became increasingly influenced by Social Darwinism and nationalism , in which the Sámi people and their culture were regarded as primitive and uncivilised . As such, it

3364-399: Was true both on the level of the individual, and for the groups as entities. One of the results of the Norwegianization was that the number of Sámi people who stated that they were of Norwegian ethnicity steadily increased over the span of the late 1800s and 1900s. The Norwegianization is also considered to be one of the reasons as to why many people with ethnically Sámi backgrounds developed

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