Below is a summary of the four phases:
The Transitional Phase (1850-1870)
The first generation of senior civil servants who made contact with the Sami, put the Sami language on an equal footing with Norwegian. They believed that it was a human right to be able to speak one’s native tongue. Clergyman N.V Stockfleth translated and published several books in Sami for the use in school and churches. Stockfleth received support from the senior civil servant’s party in the Storting (Norwegian Parliament). However, the language policy was opposed by the Norwegian upper class of Finnmark. In 1848 and subsequent sessions of the Storting, Stockfleth's line in language policy was vehemently debated. The discussion heralded a tougher stance by the authorities in respect of the northern minorities.
Clergyman N.V Stockfleth
One of the first measures applied by the Storting was the creation of the national budget (Finnefondet) in 1851 in order to promote the teaching of Norwegian in the transitional districts and to ensure the enlightenment of the Sami people.
The Consolidation Phase (1870-1905)
The Storting began to tighten the policies of Norwegianization in the 1860s. Norwegian language was in decline among the Sami and Kven. While the measures in the first phase were motivated by civilizing and nationalistic purposes, security policies were decisive to both objectives and strategies during the second phase. National budget for Norwegianization doubled, and measures were gradually tightened in Education. Directors of Troms diocese instructed teachers to teach all Sami and Kven children to learn to speak, read and write Norwegian, while all previous clauses saying that the children were to learn their native tongue were repealed. The instruction of 1880 marked the final breakthrough for the strict norwegianization policy. Sami and Kven languages was to limited to what was strictly necessary, “as an aid to explain what is incomprehensible to the children.”
Norwegianization measures increased substantially in the early 20th century. The reason for this was the fear of the “Finnish menace,” and the national agitation surrounding the dissolution of the union with Sweden. New measures were introduced:
-The building of several boarding schools around Finnmark county, with the purpose of isolating the pupils from their original environments.
-The termination of courses in Sami and Finnish at Troms seminar;
-Tuition, scholarships for pupils with Sami or Kven background were abolished at the same school.
-Work prohibition for Sami and Kven teachers in schools.
-Teaching methods designed to promote assimilation were discussed at teacher’s conventions and demonstrated by the school superintendent himself.
According to Bernt Thomassen, Director of Schools, Norwegianization was “a matter of welfare for the vast majority of the North Norwegian Lappish and Kven population.” Norwegianisation paves the way for development and progress for these people. The authorities believed that they could maintain their objectives on behalf of the minority populations and for their good.
The Culmination Phase (1905-1950)
The Versailles Peace Treaty after the First World War changed the borders on the northern Fennoscandia. For Norway this resulted in a common border with both Russia and Finland. The security policy threat perceived by Norwegian authorities became stronger after the Russian revolution, but after a short period it was still “the Finnish menace” which was at the centre of attention. The inter-war years were therefore to be marked by a shielding off from Finland and - more relevant to our topic - an “inner offensive” against Kven and Sami.
Allocations for the above-mentioned Finnefondet had been considerably increased in the early twentieth century. The great increase was intended to cover the government's boarding schools initiative as a new and more efficient tool in the assimilation efforts. At first the boarding schools were built as border fortifications in Kven-dominated areas, but later Inner Finnmark county and Tysfjord were also included in the programme.
According to Brygfjeld, the assimilation of the Sami was considered a civilizing task for the Norwegian state, because of the Norwegians' racial superiority.
The Termination Phase (1950-1980)
In the termination phase, teachers were instructed to make sure that students never spoke Sami or Finnish.
In Tor Edvin Dahl's book report (1970), a teacher who came originally from Oslo states the following:
"Then we had to make sure the children never spoke Sami or Finnish, we had been told by the headmaster that they were not allowed to speak their native language, not even during breaks or after school hours. Norwegian was to be spoken, and no discussion about it."
Consequently, the self-image of many Sami and Kven pupils was degraded. At school, they were told that their native language and their cultural belongings were of little value.
Bibliography:
Minde, Henry. “Assimilation of the Sami: Implementation and Consequences.” Acta Borealia 20 (2003): 121-146.
