Anne-Marie Moen (22) shows Finnish forest crafts at Åsnes Finnskog in Åsnes municipality. – Here is, among other things, a bag and a pair of shoes that are braided. Never braiding is a long Finnish forest tradition, says Moen. SKOGFINNISK: Anne-Marie Moen says that knot braiding has a long tradition in the Finnish forest culture. On the wall hang both a bag and a pair of shoes braided from fists. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news At the same time in the Storting, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented its report on Norwegianization policy and injustice done to Samar, Kvenar and Norwegian Finns on Thursday. The commission has itself included forest finners in the survey. As a youth contact in the interest organization Forestry Interests in Norway, Moen is therefore involved when the report is presented. – There has been a loss of language, loss of traditions and culture among several minorities. It is a great pity that it has been like this. I hope someone can make up for it in the future, says Moen. Collecting stories The purpose of the commission was to make a historical survey that describes the policies and activities of the Norwegian governing authorities above Samar and Kvenar/Norwegian Finns both locally, regionally and nationally. This is done, among other things, by collecting personal stories. One of those who have told their story is Jan Myhrvold, leader of Solør-Värmland Finnkulturforening. He is a descendant of forest Finns, and told, among other things, how he has experienced not being able to learn the language of the forest Finns. – I am sorry that we have not had the chance to learn our ancestors’ language, he says. SERIOUSLY: Jan Myhrvold, leader of the Solør-Värmland Finnkulturforening is happy that the governing authorities take minorities seriously. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news He thinks it is good that the authorities now take minorities seriously. – It is good and certainly necessary. It wasn’t just foresters who were discriminated against, held down and forced into a tract, it was all minorities at the time. It gave a perspective on today’s multicultural society. – Even though we have lived side by side, there has been an expectation that one should conform, he says. The 700-page report, including the personal stories, will be read out loud. It will take over 30 hours, and will be broadcast on news. Time for action The Commission has investigated the effects of the Norwegianization policy, and in the report they propose measures that will contribute to further reconciliation. – People are still experiencing injustice and negative effects that have their roots in the long history of Norwegianisation policies, said Dagfinn Høybråten, head of the commission during the opening speech at the Storting on Thursday. – Now it is time for a settlement with the nation’s injustice against Samaritans, Kvens/Norwegian Finns and Skog Finns. The commission states that knowledge of forest finnar, samar and kvenar is very deficient among the population in Norway. They believe that increasing knowledge can reduce discrimination and harassment by these groups. One of the measures the commission is proposing is therefore to establish a competence center on Norwegianisation. The competence center shall be responsible for research, documentation, dissemination and reconciliation work. – The centre’s most important task is to remedy the lack of knowledge the commission has uncovered, the report states. Flag and national day In 1998, Skogfinnars, together with Kvens/Norwegian Finns, Roma, Romani people/Taters and Jews, were recognized as a national minority in Norway. After Finns immigrated to Sweden from the end of the 16th century and to south-eastern Norway from the 1640s, the rights of the descendants, who are called forest Finns, took time to establish. On 4 May 1823, 12 foresters received an audience with the king in Stockholm. Then they had walked all the way from the Finnskogen with the aim of asking for their own forest Finnish herd. Exactly 200 years later, on 4 May 2023, the flag of the Forest Finns was raised for the first time on a public flagpole at the town hall in Oslo. The flag was given to the forest Finns in December 2022. Wednesday 21 June 2023 is the first time Forest Finland National Day is marked. – It will be exciting to see if there will be a big celebration or how it will turn out. It is very nice that we have got a flag. Then we have a way to show that we belong to forest Finland, says Moen. TO THE CASTLE: On 4 May 2023, the Skogfinn flag was publicly raised for the first time. The flag has been drawn up in collaboration with skogfinn associations in Sweden, and is intended to symbolize togetherness, common origin and skogfin traditions. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news Proud forest Finn The Finnish language has been lost, but in the future Moen will work to preserve the history and what remains of Finnish culture. – It is very sad that we lost so much during the Norwegianization policy. It is something we cannot get back. – The important thing going forward will be to take care of buildings and associated sites, for example. We have received funds to maintain a barn where several Finnish forest symbols have been engraved, says Moen. PROUD: Anne-Marie Moen is proud to be a forester. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news – Are you proud to be a forester? – Absolutely.
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Anne-Marie fights to take care of the Finnish forest culture – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
