On February 6, during the celebration of National Sami Day, Greek News in Florida visited the municipal library to cover the event and meet participants. There, we met journalist Mona-Malin Melli Sarri, who grew up in the hinterland of Västerbotten, in Vindeln. In the interview, she talks about her Sami identity, her experiences with language and culture, and how she perceives the current situation of the Sami in society.
What is your relationship with the Sami people?
My relationship with the Sami language is that I am Sami. I identify as Sami and have been so all my life.
How do you experience the situation in today's society?
I experience it as hostile. It is largely based on ignorance and stereotypes, but it can vary from place to place. It is usually worse in smaller communities.
Has this been happening for a long time?
Yes, all my life I have struggled with hatred, threats, prejudice and racist expressions. Also so that I can, for example, learn my language, Northern Sami. This is the reality that I know.
How does the language learning opportunity work at school?
In Sweden there is a law that says you have to be able to study your mother tongue, but there is no set quality level. In primary school the levels were quite low, about one hour a week with unqualified teachers. At university there are many courses. This is especially true because I speak Northern Sami, which is the largest. It is much more difficult with Ume-Sami or Lule-Sami, which are other dialects.
How do you perceive the role of the Swedish state in relation to the Sami?
I believe that a stronger effort is needed to promote the Sami people and language, because today much of the hatred is based on ignorance.
Have you personally experienced discrimination?;
Yes, I have been oppressed by non-Sami people my entire life.
What is behind this oppression?
It's years of state decisions that have led to the Sami being considered a less worthy people. History speaks of things like racial biology or nomadic schools where Swedishization and Christianization were attempted. This is the burden we carry — we know what our people have suffered.
How can Sami culture and language be preserved and strengthened?
With events like this, where the language exists, is heard and is encouraged to be spoken. With more education, easier teacher training and greater accessibility. Above all, action is needed in schools and early education of children for the indigenous peoples of Sweden.
What does the Sami flag symbolize?
The flag is connected to nature, because we are a people of nature. Many say that the red symbolizes the blood in our veins or in the animals, the blue the sea, the green the nature and the yellow the sun. However, there are different interpretations.
Can you talk about land rights and ILO Convention 169?
ILO 169 is a convention that emphasizes that the state must listen to indigenous peoples. Norway has ratified it, but Sweden has not. This means that Sweden can use land for mines, wind turbines or hydroelectric projects without our consent, even though it is our land.
Has this increased with the climate debate?
Yes, there is something called “green colonialism,” where wind and hydroelectric power are good for the environment but not for us and our culture. Our voices are often silenced because it is seen as good for the future.
How is the situation in other countries?
It's a difficult question. The Sami in Russia are severely oppressed and cannot express themselves freely. There is oppression in all the Scandinavian countries, but Norway has more rights because it has ratified the convention. I know a few Sami in Finland, but everywhere there is pressure to exploit their land.
Photo By morsan – https://www.flickr.com/photos/mortsan/48033905/sizes/l/in/photostream/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13284191, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
