On November 12, the Norwegian Parliament apologized to the Sami and the country’s Indigenous peoples for the policy of forced assimilation and its consequences, which are still very much with us today. Will this apology, accompanied by a series of measures and recommendations, pave the way for reconciliation?
“It has been a day with many emotions. It is strong to see that the Storting is apologizing and acknowledging responsibility for the Norwegianization policy.” With these words, Silje Karine Muotka, President of the Sámi Parliament of Norway, welcomed the apology made on November 12 by the Norwegian Parliament, the Storting, to the Sámi, Kvenes and Forest Finns of Norway for the policy of forced assimilation carried out against these populations. “Today I send a thought to those who have suffered, who lost both language and culture, and who have deep wounds. Today there is hope for reconciliation”, declared Mrs. Muotka in a press release issued on Tuesday.
The apology comes more than a year after the publication of a report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The report’s conclusions were unequivocal: the Norwegianization of the country’s Indigenous populations left deep scars, and led to the disappearance of native language and culture. More than 700 people took part in the report, giving their testimony on the Norwegianization of their culture and the consequences of this process, which are still very much alive today.
The Storting’s apology was addressed to the country’s various Indigenous populations. In addition to the Sami, who number over 55 000 in Norway, the Kvenes and Forest Finns also received an apology for the policy of forced assimilation that began in the 18th century and continued until the 1980s. Forbidden to speak their language or practice their culture, forced population relocations and the establishment of boarding schools for children were the lot of Norway’s Indigenous populations, with consequences that are still vivid today.
The Storting’s move is a very first for the Forest Finns and Kvenes communities. Both, who descended from Finnish migrants who arrived in Norway between the 16th and 19th centuries, had never received an apology from the government, even though Norwegianization virtually stripped them of their culture and language.
Seventeen measures to repair
While the apology is a first step, concrete measures were also expected from parliament. A package of seventeen measures was announced yesterday, with a particular focus on language revitalization. Language courses for children and adults, creation of linguistic and cultural spaces, possible funding for Sami municipalities in language development projects, and support for technological development in education feature prominently among the measures set out by the Storting.
And that’s not all. The parliament also asked the Norwegian government to amend its law on patronymics to allow people whose surnames were “Norwegianized” to revert to their original names, and to draw up a draft amendment to the law to better protect Indigenous heritage and monuments.
A national competence center on Norwegianization policy and injustices committed against Indigenous peoples is to be set up in collaboration with the latter. Research, documentation and communication will be the center’s main tasks.
Finally, public services employees should be given training on Indigenous populations, their rights, language, culture and traditions.
These measures will obviously come at a cost. That’s why, from 2026, the reconciliation policy should be included in the national budget. In addition, from 2027 onwards, the government will have to submit a progress report to parliament on measures taken in favor of Indigenous populations.
While the Storting’s apology and measures are a first step, there’s still a long way to go. “Going forward, we expect an active policy of reconciliation. The decision from today ensures long-term follow-up and it has both financial and legal repercussions.”, emphasizes the President of Norway’s Sami Parliament, while regretting that no settlement has yet been found to the persistent conflicts over land and water. In any case, it is already clear that the reconciliation process will not take place without the Indigenous populations being involved: “We are ready to contribute actively in the work and look forward to building a reconciliation process with the broad participation of a number of social actors.”
Not a first
This apology comes more than two years after the Norwegian government apologized to reindeer herders in the case of the Storheia and Roan wind farms. The Norwegian Supreme Court had declared that the permits granted for the construction of the wind farms on the Fosen peninsula in western Norway violated the rights of the Sami people, which had been recognized by the UN.
For almost two years, the Sami communities mobilized, carrying out a series of actions and occupying ministries in the capital. Finally, the government apologized in March 2023, promising to quickly find solutions for the cohabitation of wind turbines and Sami communities. Between compensation for Sami families, replacement of grazing areas taken over by wind farms, and the right to veto future installations, the mediation procedure between the various parties took place in a tense climate.
A situation that echoes the various conflicts in the Sami territories of Northern Europe. In addition to wind farms, mining projects and forest exploitation are denounced by Indigenous communities in Norway, Sweden and Finland. These are real issues that should be addressed in any reconciliation process.
Link to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report (in Norwegian) : https://www.stortinget.no/globalassets/pdf/sannhets–og-forsoningskommisjonen/rapport-til-stortinget-fra-sannhets–og-forsoningskommisjonen.pdf
Mirjana Binggeli, Polar Journal AG
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