edit: I added more text about the Saami peoples difficulties in Norway. It was important to clarify I’m not anti-Saami in any way, all minorities matter ❤
Many people don’t understand the significant Kven heritage importance in the North, especially the Norwegian State. There are some difficult subjects/topics in our culture, like the relationship with the Saami identity and Norwegianization.
I had a conversation with someone a long time ago about this, they didn’t think the Kven people were truly a big part of Northern Norwegian history and that we (Kven people) are basically all immigrants. Also they said Norwegianization was much worse for the Saami people, this is simply not true at all btw as all Finnish-origin Finnmark natives know very well. She wasn’t from Finnmark, that matters a lot in my country. Other people don’t know our history, mostly because the State doesn’t want to let people know our cultures and languages. (edit: this is true for all ethnic minority languages in Norway, including the North Saami language).
I really don’t care for this dishonesty from the State, they didn’t mention the Romani people either; despite horrible discrimination against Traveller peoples in Norway. In the recent Sannhets- og forsoningskommisjonen, that is. They focused almost entirely on the Saami people in that report, and the media didn’t ask questions about why the Romani were being left out. (Btw the Saami are absolutely right to be angry and upset with the State and the assimilation policies it still supports).
Our people have lived in Norway for many centuries. It’s very strange how the Saami are given much, much more importance and respect in modern Norway. I really identify as Saami also, and this controversial topic about importance really is discrimination based on ethnicity. I really don’t like these strange double standards to be honest. And it’s not all Saami people and cultures that get more importance actually. The South Saami and the Sea Saami for instance are rarely mentioned in the Norwegian media. I really don’t know why, it’s very strange. I absolutely don’t mean the other Saami groups are not discriminated against, including the Mountain Saami and the City Saami, and it’s just as wrong as discrimination against all other ethnic minorities.
it’s like a hornets nest often. Some Saami people (especially Saami politicians) get very angry if someone just mention Kven influences in the Saami heritage. I should mention this is a difficult topic in our culture, some Norwegians are hostile to all Northern people (other Norwegians who live in Finnmark, Troms and Nordland, the Saami, Kven people among others).
I wish we could see that we are actually united, and the State is guilty of this artificial divide.
I really mean it; we are one ❤
Arctic 93 