Colonial Encounter in Early Modern Sápmi

Abstract

The present chapter analyses state education of the indigenous Saami population in early modern Sweden. Making some initial comparisons between the Saami boarding school system of 1723 and the twentieth-century priest seminaries in Belgian Congo, the chapter presents two examples of Saami students opposing the acculturation policy applied in the schools. The stories of Olof in the 1670s and Anders in the 1760s highlight the role of education as a tool in the colonial power’s cultural influence on the Saami. Isolated from their native culture and under constant supervision, Saami children were exposed to intensive acculturation during their years at boarding school. While education managed to break Anders’ resistance, education placed tools in the hands of Olof, who after his schooling became an articulate advocate of Saami rights, most palpably demonstrated in an appeal to the King. In this letter, which provoked conspicuous indignation among local and regional authorities, Olof asked for permission to become a schoolmaster and minister for his Saami community. He also argued for the right to use the Saami drum by referring to its alleged function of compass. Even though Olof’s appeal had no success, he stands at the head of a long line of Saami political activists who gained the opportunity of formulating their standpoints in writing thanks to the Swedish government’s educational programmes.