The Giellagas Institute at the University of Oulu, Finland, works to preserve the status of Sámi languages and culture. Interest in both is growing slightly, but the falling birth rate may in the future lead to a shortage of students. Among the Sámi languages, Inari Sámi and Skolt Sámi are particularly endangered.

Sigga-Marja Magga, Director of the Giellagas Institute, knows that education and research are especially crucial right now.

“Only about 350 people speak Skolt Sámi. Education and research are vital revitalisation work. This year we received a record number of applicants for Skolt Sámi — as many as 11. If we manage to train five Skolt Sámi speakers, it is a huge achievement for the language community,” Magga says with delight.

The Sámi languages differ from one another to some extent, and it is common that a speaker of one Sámi language can understand others, even if they can only speak and write one.

Strong employment prospects

Applicants to the Northern Sámi programme at the Giellagas Institute typically already have strong language skills. The Sámi as a foreign language courses attract minor-subject students from diverse backgrounds, including international exchange students. Those who know Sámi find employment in teaching, research, translation, language planning, language technology, Sámi‑language media, and administrative roles.

One reason for the growing interest is the possibility of remote studies.

“Sámi people do not necessarily want to leave their home region. Many have their lives — for example reindeer herding — in the north. At the same time, remote studies allow linguists anywhere to participate in Sámi language learning.”

For students coming from outside Sámi communities, the university is often their first real exposure to Sámi culture.

“Finns ultimately know very little about their own Indigenous people, which is unfortunate. Schools teach almost nothing about Sámi culture. This leads to misunderstandings and even prejudice.”

Although Sámi languages are currently experiencing a rise in interest, a threat looms in the background: the declining birth rate also affects the Sámi community, reducing the number of future speakers. Magga is particularly concerned about the status of Northern Sámi: what level of language proficiency will children acquire in schools, and where will future students come from if age groups continue shrinking as predicted?

A strong Sámi presence in Oulu

Oulu is the European Capital of Culture this year, and Sámi culture has been more visible in the city’s art scene than ever before. The Oulu Museum of Art broke its visitor record with a Sámi‑themed exhibition.

The Oulu Theatre staged the commissioned opera Ovllá. It tells the story of a boy who was placed in a Finnish school and dormitory as a child and taught to be ashamed of his roots. The story of Ovllá is, sadly, true in Sámi history.

“Two themes are currently prominent in both art and research: the intergenerational trauma of the boarding‑school generations, and colonial perspectives related to land use. Sámi artists today are highly political. Many are also active participants in public debate,” Magga explains.

As a northern university city, Oulu is a concentrated Sámi hub — the largest outside the Sámi homeland.

“We know there are hundreds of us here, but Sáminess isn’t visible to outsiders. Still, we can’t fully blend into the Finnish population because many of us are ultimately revealed by our names — like me,” Magga says with a smile.

Giellagas Institute

• A unit within the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Oulu
• Founded in 2001
• Holds a national mandate from the Ministry of Education and Culture for Sámi language and culture teaching and research
• Offers studies in three Sámi languages: Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi, and Skolt Sámi
• A fourth major subject is Sámi culture
• By 2026, the institute has around 70 students across all programmes, including postgraduate students
• Also hosts the Sámi Cultural Archive.