Like a whole generation of young Sami, many Kvens are also trying to find their way back to what was taken away during the Norwegianization policy. M. Seppola Simonsen learned about her Kven identity in her teens. – When I found out who I was, I wanted to explore what that meant. When I looked for films, books, really anything about Kven, there was little to be found, says Seppola Simonsen. Writing poetry therefore became a way of exploring one’s own identity. The poetry collection Hjerteskog / Syđänmettä has received a great response from the Kven community. The book is about being a stranger in the face of oneself, one’s own language, nature and homeland. Still in short supply – It was like there was a big shortage of both literature and other Kven art. The reception made me understand that my work was important, which became a driving force to continue writing about this, says Seppola Simonsen. – I understood that there was a lack of something that I might be able to give to those who are in the situation I was once in. Hjerteskog or Syđänmettä, as it is called in Swedish, is a nature-based poetry book in which I search for my own identity. Photo: Flamme Forlag Terje T. Wollmann is the creator of the Nils and Magga universe. A cartoon for children that follows a pair of siblings who grow up at the intersection of Sami, Kven and Norwegian culture, just as Wollmann himself did while growing up in Kirkenes . The comic is available in five different languages. The idea for the cartoon pair of siblings from the north came when Terje struggled to find children’s books in minority languages. – I started looking online and in the library, and quickly noticed that there are few comics in Sami and Swedish. This is how I understood that this was a hole that could be closed. Terje T. Wollmann is passionate about minority languages being made visible in literature, also for the youngest. Here photographed with his own character from the Nils and Magga cartoon. Photo: Tor Even K. Mortensen Calls for more public schemes Kai Petter Johansen is leader of the Norske Kveners Forbund. He praises Kven writers, but calls for more public schemes to support Kven art and literature. – They should have been more on the offer side and asked what we need. You almost have to make them understand that we have a real need. The Kven has long been invisible in society, and the authorities bear a large part of the responsibility for that, says Johansen. Kai Petter Johansen, leader of the Norske Kveners Forbund, misses more public schemes to preserve and develop the Kven culture. Photo: Kai Petter Johansen / Private He says that the flourishing of the Kven community comes from long-term work from, among other things, the association and the Kven people themselves. It is still not an easy battle to take on alone, and he misses a larger initiative from the public sector. – We want the authorities to take greater responsibility, we must have a common understanding of what the needs are and what is needed to make it happen. We need arrangements that suit us better and raise Kven commitment. Kvensk, together with Sami, Romanesque and Romani, is recognized as a minority language in Norway. The Kven language is considered highly endangered. Photo: Arne Ivar Johnsen Focus on minority artists State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Equality, Gry Haugsbakken (Ap), confirms that, historically speaking, minority art has not always been a priority. – We have a long history of not being good enough to lift up minorities and Kven, but now we have taken many steps in the right direction. Today, minority art is an important area of focus. The Norwegian Cultural Foundation has set aside NOK 1.9 million for an investment in literature in national minority languages and from minority-language authors in the grant scheme for literature projects. State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Equality, Gry Haugsbakken (Ap), says that the focus is on minority artists to a greater extent than before. Photo: Ilja C. Hendel / Ministry of Culture The State Secretary believes it is important that these schemes are made visible, so that both Kven writers and other minority artists are aware that they can apply for support for their projects. Haugsbakken is also concerned that cultural offerings should be available to more people in society. – If you have parents with good finances and a high level of education, the probability that you, for example, read books and go to museums is much greater. Therefore, we need arrangements that enable more people to get to know it, and not just those with parents who lead the way. A positive development Terje Wollmann nevertheless points out that something has happened on the Kven literature front in recent years. – We are a group that does this, and it is growing. There was probably a greater shortage a few years ago, now there is a better selection in all age groups. The Nils and Magga series has Finnmark as a backdrop, and will give children and young people exciting stories from an environment they can recognize in. Photo: Vintereik forlag / Farger Farsott M. Seppola Simonsen was very happy that Flamme Forlag wanted to publish the poems. – That there was an interest within the book industry was a positive takeover. It shows that we as a society have an interest in minority culture. – I hope this means that more people will write about this. This is not just something that people want, society at large is also interested.
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Norske Kveners Forbund calls for more public schemes to support Kven art – news Troms and Finnmark
