“I was the only Sámi in our family for a very long time”: A nexus analysis of language and culture revitalisation

Language shift and revitalisation bring about different types of silencing. In Northern Norway, long-term oppression and stigmatisation brought Sámi languages to silence, and discussions on Indigenous identities, cultural practices and language practices were also silenced. This discursive silence may be seen as a strategy for coping with consequences of assimilation and oppression (Johansen 2013), or lack of awareness of language choice (Kulick 1992). Revitalisation processes aim to bring a language back into use, but often contribute to discussions regarding Indigenous identity and language and culture practices. This in turn could lead to multiple and complex positions and tensions. While revitalisation may contribute to healing (McKenzie 2022), overcoming the silencing brought about by oppressive policies often is a deeply emotional experience (Lane 2023). To shed light on this we study how such discourses change over time, drawing on longitudinal data from Olmmáivággi, a Coastal Sámi community in Northern Norway.

Based on conversations with the same participant (in 2007 and 2023), we explore how experiences of revitalisation change over time. In 2007, the local community was in a process of healing after severe ethno-political conflicts related to revitalisation efforts during the 1990s. In 2023, the revitalisation process has gained momentum in Norway, and become more accepted both in Olmmáivággi and in Sámi communities in general. The analysis sheds light on how this development is experienced on the individual level, especially when it comes to breaking silence concerning language and culture practices and identity positioning.

Time is a prevalent factor in revitalisation processes, yet understudied in language revitalisation research (Lane 2010). Some discourses circulate over extended time periods and may appear distant from social actions, particularly in the case of processes involving oppression, revitalisation and reclamation. For such inquiries, nexus analysis is a well-suited approach as it allows us to analyse both how discourses evolve over time and how discourses get internalised by social actors (Scollon & Scollon 2004; Lane 2023). Drawing on this framework we investigate how experiences of and reflections on revitalisation efforts and Ingeneity change over time.

References

Johansen, Å.M. (2013) Overcoming silence: Language emancipation in a coastal Sámi-Norwegian community. Sociolinguistic Studies 7.1–7.2, 57–77

Lane, P. (2010) ‘We did what we thought was best for our children’: A nexus analysis of language shift in a Kven community. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 202, 63–78

Lane, P. (2023) From silence to silencing? Contradictions and tensions in language revitalization. Applied Linguistics, 44 (5), 833–847

McKenzie, J. (2022) Addressing historical trauma and healing in Indigenous language cultivation and revitalization, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 42, 71–77

Scollon, R. and Scollon, S.W. (2004) Nexus Analysis: Discourse and the Emerging Internet. London: Routledge.