Ekaterina Zmyvalova is a doctoral student at the unit of Sámi studies at Department of Language Studies. Her PhD thesis is devoted to the teaching of the Sami language in schools in Russia and Sweden. She also examines the preservation of the language by teaching it in schools. Arcum will hold an online seminar in October within our Umeå Arctic Seminar series where Ekaterina will talk about the Sámi children’s right to learn their indigenous language at school in Russia.
The Sámi people live in the Arctic parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Although the Sami are divided by the formal boundaries of the four states, they continue to exist as one people and are united by cultural and linguistic bonds and a common identity. The fact that Sámi live in different states impacts the situation with, and the status of, the Sámi culture, language and identity. Due to different state policy priorities, the legal regulation of the Sámi livelihood in the four countries varies.
According to information provided by the Federal Statistics Agency in Russia, the total Sámi population in the Murmansk Oblast (which is the Russian part of Sápmi) constituted 1599 people in 2010. The Lovozero school is the only school in Russia where the Sámi language is taught. Moreover, it is taught only as an additional extra-curricular educational activity.
On Friday October 16 between noon and 1 pm, you have the opportunity to listen to Ekaterina talk about provisions of national and international law, state policy regarding the right of Sámi children to learn their indigenous language at school in Russia. She will also share the results of her field trips to Lovozero.
Register your interest at the link below. You will receive more information about the seminar and a link to it by e-mail.
Please feel free to join!
