It is the Alta women’s association that has started work on a language center in the municipality. Alta has long Kven traditions, like several other municipalities in Nord-Troms and Finnmark, says project manager for the association, Kurt Johnsen. – It has left its mark on the Alta community with both the Alta River and fishing grounds in the river, with the agricultural culture and Kven in the slate industry. There are very strong Kven roots in the Alta community, he says. Interest in the kindergarten One of those who grew up with the Kven language in the family is Andreas Berge Uglebakken. In the grandmother’s kitchen, Swedish was spoken, or Finnish as he calls it, when the children could not understand. He has Finnish ancestry on both sides of his family and his grandmother Ingrid Uglebakken still speaks Finnish. – Grandma would like the next generations to learn the language, he says. That is why he and his partner Ingrid Aamodt answered yes when the kindergarten asked if they wanted lessons in Swedish language and culture. The question came because the Alta women’s association did a survey in the kindergartens in Alta to gauge interest. There is interest in four kindergartens, says Johnsen. – When there were so many parents, and not least kindergartens, who wanted to take part in such a process, I think it was encouraging, he says. Kurt Johnsen in the Alta women’s association is the project manager and is now working together with Alta municipality to create a Kven language centre. Photo: private Last year they applied for money from Troms and Finnmark County Council, which in recent years has managed the pot National grant for Swedish language and Swedish/Norwegian-Finnish culture. Then they were refused. After that, Alta’s chairmanship agreed to the start of a Swedish language center from 2023, provided that the municipality is allocated money from the national operating funds in the same way as existing language centres. Want the children to learn about the Kven language and culture Andreas Berge Uglebakken and his partner would like the children not only to learn a bit of the language, but also to learn more about the Kven culture. Lena Kristine Thomassen also wants that. She also has a family history that tells of a Kven past. – At my mother’s house, the parents speak Finnish to each other. But none of the children picked up the language. Some of them probably understood Finnish, but no one spoke it, she says. She knows little about her ancestors, but knows that on her mother’s side both great-grandmother and great-grandfather came from the Torneo area. She thinks it is natural that the children learn about Swedish in kindergarten and school, and not just Sami. Lena Kristine Thomassen with her youngest son Sigmund, who is in kindergarten. She also has two children who attend school. Photo: private – Many people here are of Swedish descent and very many of us know little about that. So it would be a nice arena when you have themed weeks in the kindergarten to also move into the Kven culture. She tried to learn Finnish herself as a child at school, but it was challenging because so few others spoke the language. She does not think it is unnatural that the language is being diluted or dying out, and is more concerned that the history should be preserved. – I feel that it is dying out with the current generation, she says. Kven language centers lack money Today there are language centers in Storfjord, Kvænangen, Lakselv and Vadsø. In these municipalities there are, among other things, offers for kindergarten children to learn Swedish through so-called language showers and language nests. Halti Kvenkultursenter in Nordreisa also conducts a language shower for children. The Kven language is one of Europe’s endangered languages. The language centers do an important job in the revitalization of the language, says director of the Kven Institute Hilde Skanke. – They are extremely important. They are our extended arm in the work to revitalize the language. But already last year it became clear that the existing language centers do not have the money to get the wheels turning. At the same time, it is not only Alta that wants a language centre. Tana has worked for this for several years without getting anywhere. In Kåfjord it might become a topic, if the Women’s Policy Committee in the municipality gets what they want. The question has also been raised in Tromsø. Does not promise increased investment Skanke is happy about the growing interest. – It shows that people are beginning to understand the value and usefulness of having a language center with them in the revitalization work. They reach out in a completely different way than perhaps a women’s association or Kvensk institute does, she says. Director at Kvensk Institute, Hilde Skanke, is disappointed that the government cannot invest more in language centres. – It seems to me that they are not very willing to take on the responsibility they actually have, she says. Photo: Annikken Pedersen / Kvensk institutt/Kainun institutti She also believes it is important to have a local affiliation where you can gather the teams and the association that work together, that they have a common meeting point. But the government will not promise more money in its proposal for the state budget for 2023. State Secretary Nancy Porsanger Anti in the Ministry of Local Government and District Affairs says that they must tighten the budget in these demanding times, but that they will ensure good framework conditions for the national minorities who are not affected by the austerity. – The grants will essentially continue at the same level as in 2022. This also applies to Kven purposes, she says. Disappointed with the government Hilde Skanke is disappointed that there is no room to give more money to Swedish causes. – It seems to me that they are not very willing to take on the responsibility they actually have. When we now see interest in Kåfjord, Alta, Tana, I think they should know their visiting hours and invest in this. It is one of the most important things we have achieved, she says. Kurt Johnsen also reacts. – The funds we are talking about are just a pittance in the large national budget. I think it is disappointing that such an offer cannot be shielded in the face of the major national funding challenges. We have already waited far too long for revitalization measures so it should have come a long time ago. It is therefore currently uncertain whether the children in the four kindergartens will have the opportunity to learn a little Swedish. If there is to be more money in the state budget, there must be a proposal from another party about this. SV is the party that comes closest to supporting the government in the budget negotiations in the Storting. They have not yet completed their alternative budget. Storting representative Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes tells news Kvensk that they have a good dialogue with the women’s associations and know the needs. But he cannot yet say anything about what the result will be.
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Need for more language centers – but the government will not promise more money – news Kveeni
