I. The newspaper wall

Comments:

The Sami community in our area has always been actively engaged in improving the Sami`s situation in different matters. Here we present some of the causes that local Sami have been engaged in and fought against.

1950-1960: Depopulation of the fjords, protest campaigns in Hellemofjorden

1970-1980: “Boligaksjonen” (:relocation campaign), Sami associations are founded, the term ”Lule Sami” is coming into use, Hellemo is included in the State Budget, The Sami People’s list

1989: The Sami Parliament was established

1989-2000: Lule Sami Kindergarten, Árran, the Pite Sami Association, the local community Musken for sale

Topic:

Polular meetings have been an important part of the organizing locally. Important issues were presented and discussed. An issue was not settled and done with before everybody agreed. An example of this is that there was only one person that applied for the job at the local Postal Service in Musken, he had already been pointed out at a popular meeting. Popular meetings are still of some importance.

Topic:

The Lule Sami kindergarten was opened in 1989. A Sami kindergarten was considered to be the last chance of saving the Lule Sami language.

Árran – Lule Sami Center was officially opened in 1994 by King Harald of Norway; a milestone in Sami history.

Topic:

Considerable parts of the Sami settlement area in the fjords were defined as depopulation areas by the Government. This led to protests from the population. An example of a slogan used: “let the modern society come to us.”

Topic:

In the 1970’s there was a big response to Sami associations in Nordland. The members were adults, even some preachermen were involved. Those associations, however, had a brief existence. Around the 1980’s there were founded new associations with and by youth.

Topic:

The Lule Sami language – from only being spoken at home, and without an official acception, it was to become one of three official Sami languages in Norway.

Topic:

People from the Lule Sami area have been active in Sami associations, councils and committees, both locally and internationally.

Topic:

Duodje; Sami arts and crafts, has had a great growth and is passed on in modernized shapes and expressions.