On Teachers' Education in Sweden, School Curriculums, and the Sámi People
Supplementary resource (1)
... The current situation of invisibilisation and othering of the Sámi and our history, tradition and culture in Sweden (and in the other Fenno-Scandinavian Nation States) contributes to the creation of highly problematic epistemological contexts. The absence of Sámi history, culture and tradition from education at all levels and being reduced to museum objects, victims or exoticized, leads to the lack of understanding of Sámi cultures and livelihoods, a void in understanding and an actual possibility for state representatives of ignoring the importance of the connections to the animals, lands and waters (See for example Kuokkanen, 2007and Svalastog, 2014. This invisibilisation supports a continued and even increased colonial exploitation of Sámi traditional territories as well as of us Sámi as a people. ...
... As a Sámi scholar, I am witness to how the majority of research projects on Sámi-related issues are being pursued by non-Sámi scholars (See for instance Svalastog 2014). I am concerned how the majority of knowledge is produced about Sámi and Sábme by outsiders, and that at the same time it is difficult for people to claim Sami identities and operate within academia. ...
... I didn't learn about my Sámi history in school and today Sámi history is not a part of curricula in schools. Some efforts are being made to change this, however, there is still much to do to prevent the erasure of the Sámi history within all educational levels, including academic research and teaching (Svalastog 2014). History of Science and Technology is not better than any other academic discipline in this regard. ...
I had reached the age of 42 when I was told that I am Sámi, of the indigenous people of Fenno-Scandia. This article draws on my personal experiences and insights since the day I learned about my hidden family history and started understanding the silences and shame as part of an aggressive colonization by the Swedish state towards my people, my culture, our lands, waters, memories, and bodies. In the article, I turn to the Sámi tradition of yoiking to narrate, remember, empower, and heal. I set out for a quest for my own voice, as a Sámi woman in academia, struggling in an aggressive natural resource exploiting colonial system which is a constant threat to Sámi culture, tradition, health, well-being, and long-term survival. Through the blending of feminist technoscience, storytelling, ego-histoire, and lived experiences – a corporeality and the Sámi tradition of yoiking – I create a space for my own version of the production of history and decolonization.
... But the institutions and individual Scandinavians that are to implement these strategies have very limited or no knowledge about Sámi narratives and lives. This lack of knowledge extends to those who are supposed to guard Indigenous peoples' rights and fulfil ratified obligations (Svalastog 2014;Svalastog and Fur 2015b), as the power differentials inherent within the system means that they do not need to know more (nor to act based on greater knowledge if they do have it). ...
This paper will explain the concept of double perspective and the impact that this cultural understanding may have on the health of the Indigenous peoples of Scandinavia. In inter-cultural communication, one set of meanings may be discernible to the outsider while a whole extra set of restricted or underlying meanings are only accessible for those people who have the cultural knowledge to discern them. These different sets of meanings embody a double perspective. It is not dual perspectives on the same reality but rather seeing two separate but overlapping realities. We will discuss the layers of meaning which are involved in the interactions between public healthcare institutions, clinicians and staff, and Indigenous people including the Sámi. These interactions are influenced by the impact of colonization and the ongoing epistemicide of Indigenous thought. By realising the improved resilience that a double perspective brings to Indigenous peoples, an awareness of the inclusion and exclusion of Indigenous persons, cultures and histories should become established in public institutions and in everyday life. A double perspective carries Sámi resilience, and should be understood as a key to support individual health, and also the collective wellbeing of a people living on their traditional yet colonized land.
... But the institutions and individual Scandinavians that are to implement these strategies have very limited or no knowledge about Sámi narratives and lives. This lack of knowledge extends to those who are supposed to guard Indigenous peoples' rights and fulfil ratified obligations and regulations (Svalastog, 2014;Svalastog & Fur, 2015). ...
The goal of this article is to explain the concept of double perspective and the impact this may be having on the health of Indigenous people. In inter-cultural communication, there are sets of meanings that are discernible to anyone, and an extra set of underlying meanings that are only accessible for people who have the cultural knowledge to discern them. These different sets of meanings embody a double perspective. We will discuss the double perspective involved in the interactions between public healthcare institutions, the clinicians and staff of these institutions, and Indigenous people. By realising the potential for improved resilience that a double perspective brings to Indigenous people, an awareness of the inclusion and exclusion of Indigenous persons, cultures and histories should become established in healthcare institutions and health research. A double perspective carries resilience, and as such it should be understood as a key to support individual health and the collective well-being of Indigenous people.
This article highlights the perceptions and expectations of knowledge that many people, including educators and policy makers, take for granted. Our focus of understanding is Indigenous studies and gender studies. Our aim is to show how modern education undermines these fields of studies. We use an autoethnographic method, reflecting more than 75 years as pupils/students and more than 90 years as educators. We have carefully chosen narratives of exposure to knowledge outside the educational system, as well as narratives of limitations posed upon us by the educational system. This narrative approach makes it possible for us to investigate and discuss our grief about areas of knowledge that society cries for, but the educational system continuously finds ways to resist. Our conclusion is that crucial knowledge is located outside the educational system, where individuals, groups, and communities cherish, protect, and guard knowledge that the educational system marginalises or excludes. As this knowledge is fundamental for life, our message is that the educational system needs to re-evaluate its strategies to stay relevant.
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