Promoting indigenous language rights in saami educational spaces: Findings from a preschool in southern saepmie.

The study investigates how national and indigenous languages, as well as cultural elements, are used in a kindergarten in northern Sweden. In particular, the researchers look at how kindergartens create and use these elements, and how they affect the language environment there. The study also discusses indigenous people’s language rights and how they are followed in this kindergarten.

The results show that the kindergarten had a distinct Sámi character, with visible signs, toys and colours that promoted the Sámi culture and identity. However, the use of the Sámi language was mainly symbolic, and there were limited resources to support language learning. The study emphasises the importance of supporting children's cultural identity and the need for more comprehensive language training measures to preserve and develop Sámi languages in the education system.

The data material consists of local policy documents, semi-structured interviews and photos of the linguistic school environment in a Swedish kindergarten in a small municipality in southern Sápmi. Two interviews were conducted, one with two of the kindergarten teachers and one with the Sámi coordinator in the kindergarten. In addition, the researchers took photographs of the kindergarten environment, including signs, bulletin boards and objects representing different languages and cultures in the kindergarten rooms.

Straszer, B. & Kroik, D. (2021). "Promoting indigenous language rights in saami educational spaces: Findings from a preschool in southern saepmie". I Edina Krompák, Víctor Fernández-Mallat & Stephan Meyer (red.): Linguistic Landscapes and Educational Spaces (s. 124-144). Channel View Publications.