Bengt (75) and Lennart (69) speak a language that only they understand – NRK Nordland

The brothers Bengt and Lennart Ranberg are almost like the last of the Mohicans.

They grew up in Sweden, but have now moved across the border to Fauske in Nordland. To a country where their native language has almost disappeared.

The brothers speak Pitesami. A language that almost only they understand.

– On the Norwegian side, there are around three people, if you count the two of us, says Lennart, without being completely sure.

There are Piet Sami on both the Norwegian and Swedish sides, and the brothers assume there are around 50 who know the language in total.

Unesco considers the language to be critically endangered, and efforts are being made to revive the language on both the Norwegian and Swedish sides.

– Must start now

In order for the language not to disappear in Norway, the brothers believe that it is important to start a process today, and not tomorrow. Because then it might be too late.

But a strained economy for Pitesami language work in Norway makes it difficult.

Pitesami language and culture center in Nordland has a language translator employed in a 28 percent position. Ideally, the center would have a 50 percent position. But the economy doesn’t allow it.

But now they apparently get more money.

According to NRK’s ​​interview with the brothers Sami parliamentary council Mikkel Eskil Mikkelsen told NRK that the Sami Parliament should allocate NOK 800,000 more for Pit Sami language work.

This appears in the budget proposal from The Sami Parliament Council which will arrive on 6 May, and Mikkelsen says that a lot will need to be done if that proposal does not go through.

– It was good information, says Bengt on the phone to NRK.

Every year, the Sami Parliament allocates NOK 1.2 million for Pit Sami purposes, but this has now been increased to NOK 2 million.

– Language is the most important thing you have

– It is very good that Pitesami is getting more support.

That’s what linguist Ole Henrik Magga says. He says that there are very few people who have been able to work with Pit Sami and that there has not been much wind.

– It is one of the smallest Sami languages ​​that exist, and little has been done with the language.

If the language is to survive, a more extended use of the language is needed, Magga believes.

– As long as there are people who use the language themselves, and who themselves have plans to strengthen it, then there is always hope. One should never let go of that hope.

He has no doubt that it is worth spending money on saving a language.

– Language is the most important thing you have. I don’t know how many purposes are better than that, says Magga.

Although Piet Sami has received more support, the brothers want the language to be included in the legislation, and thus get more rights

– We are not allowed to write and call place names in this area in Piet Sami and that is discriminatory, Lennart believes.

Discriminates Sami language!

Sami Parliament Councilor Mikkel Eskil Mikkelsen says that Pit Sami has no legal rights and that the Sami Parliament is working to revive the language since the government and state do not want it.

– I think there are still remnants of Norwegianization since Pitesami is not included in legislation.

Because as it is now, Pitesami residents do not have the same linguistic rights as other Sami languages ​​have. This means that Mikkelsen believes that the state discriminates.

Pitesami residents do not have the right to education, nursery places, contact the authorities or signs in Pitesami.

It appears in the Sami Act.

In short, the law says that all Sami languages ​​are equally valuable as Norwegian, but that Sami languages ​​such as Piet Sami do not have the same rights as other Sami languages.

Mikkelsen reacts to this, because it means, among other things, that children in the Pitesami language area do not have the right to Kindergarten services in the Pitesami language.

– But do you need, for example, a Piet Sami kindergarten when so few know the language?

– If we are going to revive a language, then we must have a nursery school. Several committees state that work to revive it must start in kindergarten, he says

Mikkelsen also announces that the goal is for Pit Sami to be included in the Sami Act.

But what is the purpose of the Sami Act?

– As it is today, the law does not make it possible for Pit Sami to secure and develop its language, culture and social life, says Mikkelsen.

– Is the Norwegian state preventing you from reviving Piet Sami?

– As long as the law is as it is, they do not get the linguistic rights in the Education Act or in the Kindergarten Acts, so it is an obstacle to the revival of the Pitesami language.