A few weeks ago, Tobias Eriksen (18), together with two other young people, asked the royal household, several ministers and Princess Ingrid Alexandra to equate Finnish and Kven languages in Norway. Behind the request lay the concern for the state of the Finnish language in the country. The Kvensk Finnish Student Network, where the young people are board members, believes that the authorities’ one-sided focus on the Kven language has led to a documentable result: the number of students taking Finnish has dropped drastically. – The authorities must invest in both languages, not just one of them. This is how they take care of the entire minority, not just half, Eriksen told news and believed that Finnish must become one of the official minority languages in Norway, and be included in the Language Act. However, Kristine Jonas (24) does not agree with the student network. She is deputy leader of Kvenungdommen/Kvääninuoret, the youth organization under the Norwegian Kveners’ Association, but will speak as a private person. She believes that equality would have meant death for the Kven language. – Do not give the authorities more shortcuts to deprioritize the Kven language. Equality will mean death for the Kven language Jonas can agree with the student network on many things. Actually, about everything, when it comes to the right to learn Finnish at school. – I think it is incredibly nice that those who identify with Finnish have the opportunity to choose Finnish as a second language in primary and secondary school, and wear their identity with pride. When it comes to the equality of the languages, she still disagrees with the student network. Kristine Jonas herself learns Swedish at home. Photo: Tomi Vaara / news – It is important that the languages are
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– Finnish as a minority language in Norway will mean death for the Kven language – news Kveeni
