Doctoral thesis examines Indigenous peoples’ role in language policy

In the morning, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was –22 °C, a fitting setting for doctoral student Lieuwe Jan Hettema’s mid-term seminar about his ongoing doctoral thesis, which has an Arctic focus. The seminar was led by Professor Sari Pietikäinen from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, who also served as discussant.

Lieuwe Jan’s ongoing doctoral thesis has the working title “Shaping Sámi Language Policy Through Citizen Participation” and aims to analyse practices of Samråda in local language policy processes. Samråda is a social practice initiated by municipalities to give Sámi people the possibility to influence and participate in decision-making. This practice is strategically employed by several actors in the shaping of Sámi language policy.

“I hope that the thesis can provide insights into the shaping of language policy through the participation of citizens and stakeholders, as well as into how research on Indigenous issues can be conducted,” Lieuwe Jan says.

Professor Pietikäinen opened the seminar by describing her role and approach, emphasising that the seminar should be seen as a constructive dialogue. A central part of the discussion revolved around research design, and Pietikäinen stressed the importance of formulating a clear and overarching research question. Such a question helps identify the most relevant analytical concepts and guides the interpretation of the material. This decision will shape the dissertation’s contribution both to academic research and to the communities concerned.

I hope that the thesis can provide insights into the shaping of language policy through the participation of citizens and stakeholders, as well as into how research on Indigenous issues can be conducted

Professor Pietikäinen also highlighted Lieuwe Jan’s curiosity as a key strength that drives his ability to generate new insights from rich ethnographic and empirical material. This provides a solid foundation for a strong doctoral dissertation.

The atmosphere during the seminar was very positive, and Lieuwe Jan was very pleased with the discussions.

”It was valuable to receive structural feedback on how I can analyse the project’s dataset, which is so extensive that it sometimes makes me feel lost. Now I have been given advice on how to move forward,” he says.

Lieuwe Jan hopes that his thesis also will prove relevant beyond academia.

“I hope the results will be valuable both for Indigenous peoples and minorities who wish to engage in policy-making, as well as for authorities who have the ambition to create mechanisms through which citizens or representatives of organised groups can have influence in shaping policy,” he concludes.

Lieuwe Jan Hettema is a doctoral student in linguistics, specializing in Sámi language policy and language planning at the Department of Language Studies. He is also part of the Arctic Graduate School at Umeå University.