Giellagas Institute

The Saami languages North Saami, Aanaar Saami and Skolt Saami are majors of the Languages and Literature degree program. Each of them is a major subject of its own and the choice of major subject is made when applying.

North Saami program is for native speakers of North Saami and others who are proficient in the language.

Aanaar Saami and Skolt Saami programs are suitable majors for both beginners and more advanced learners or speakers of these languages.

The goal of the major subject of Saami linguistics is to educate language experts for the needs of the Saami society. The graduates work e.g. as teachers, researchers, translators, experts of language planning and language technology as well as in Saami media and administration. The completion of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees takes about five years in total. Normally, the Bachelor’s degree is completed in three years and the Master’s degree in two years.

The Saami languages also have a doctoral program. Giellagas Institute is the only place in Finland where a Saami language can be studied as native language at the university level. In addition, Giellagas Institute offers possibilities to study Saami culture and North Saami as a foreign language.

Saami culture is one of the major subjects in the degree program of History, Culture and Communications. The goal of the Saami culture studies is knowledge of the Saami society, Saami culture and the relevant scientific research. The approach to Saami culture is broad, including perspectives of many northern cultures and indigenous peoples. Saami culture is also naturally connected to the general historical, societal, and judicial circumstances in the Nordic countries.

The Saami culture studies are meant to provide knowledge of different aspects of Saami tradition and society, as well as increase interest in Saami culture. On the other hand, the studies aim at providing future teachers, public communicators, officials, and researchers with more in-depth knowledge about the Saami. The courses are taught by Saami, Finnish, and international experts. The language of instruction is usually Finnish, but sometimes also Saami, English, or Swedish. In addition to being a major subject, Saami culture is also suitable as a minor subject for students of Saami language, Anthropology, or History, for example.

Sámi kulturarkiiva – Saami Culture Archive

• Developing the archive
• Giellagas corpus of spoken Saami languages
• Arkiivvaid jienat oahppamateriálan / Voices of the archives as learning material 2018
• The archive’s webpage

Muistin marginaalista. Sodan ja uudelleenrakentamisen merkitykset ja ylisukupolviset selviytymisen keinot Lapissa (Margins of Memory: The legacies of the Lapland War and reconstruction) (Webpage only in Finnish)

Saami language education for social and health care personnel (webpage only in Finnish)

Finished projects:

Ketterä korkeakoulu (Agile university) project

• Studies for present and future teachers of Saami languages or teachers who teach in Saami languages. Webpage only in Finnish and North Saami.

Place names of multilingual Aanaar (PhD Taarna Valtonen, the Academy of Finland 2017-2020)

Domestication project

• Domestication of Indigenous Discourses? Processes of Constructing Political Subjects in Sápmi was a joint project of University of Oulu and University of Lapland. It was funded by the Academy of Finland in 2015-2018.

Máinnasheargi project

• The Máinnasheargi research project - Modern viewpoints on Saami oral tradition

Skolt Saami Music (PhD Marko Jouste, the Academy of Finland 2015-2018)

Skolt Saami Memory Bank (PhD Marko Jouste, the Academy of Finland 2015-2018)

The education and research in Giellagas Institute, as well as individual researchers, have close connections and regular collaboration with other research institutions in the field. The partners include e.g.

• Saami Education Institute in Inari
• Sámi University of Applied Sciences (Sámi allaskuvla) in Kautokeino, Norway
• The University of Lapland (e.g. Arctic centre) in Rovaniemi
• Thule-institute in Oulu
• SIIDA – Saami museum and nature centre of Northern Lapland in Inari
• UiT – Arctic University of Norway (in Tromsø and Alta, among other locations, Norway)
• Institute for the Languages of Finland (KOTUS) in Helsinki
• Finno-Ugrian Society in Helsinki
• Sámi giellagáldu – the Saami people’s common and most authoritative decision-making body in matters related to Saami language (no web-page in English)
• Lásságámmi – The managing foundation of Nils-Aslak Valkeapää’s legacy
• Pre-study for capacity building a network of cooperation in the field of Finno-Ugric cultures, languages and sustainable toursim in the North

Alumni

All those who have completed a degree in Giellagas Institute are our alumni, as well as those who have graduated from the major subject of Saami language before the institute was founded.

The alumni are an important asset for the Giellagas Institute: they motivate the present students and facilitate the transition to working life. For this purpose, Giellagas Institute organizes activities and events where alumni and students can meet each other. For example, a seminar for students of Giellagas Institute, Giellagaksesta työelämään (from Giellagas to working life), was organized in the winter of 2015. In the seminar, Giellagas graduates told about their experiences in studies and working life.

Giellagas Institute and the University of Oulu connect with alumni through the UniOulu Alumni Community. It is an open, free-of-charge service, which all alumni of the University of Oulu are welcome to join. The members of the community receive the alumni newsletter as well as invitations to events organized by the university, faculties, and individual degree programs (such as Giellagas Institute).

Guttorm, Outi

Koukkari, Tuomas

Lehtinen, Miika

Magga Eira, Anni

Mettovaara, Jukka

Morottaja, Petter

Rasmus, Sierge

Sistonen, Mervi

Umeda, Ryo

Francett-Hermes, Michelle

Harlin, Eeva-Kristiina

Helander, Hanna

Rasmus, Minna

Tanhua, Sonja

Staff e-mail adresses: firstname.lastname(at)oulu.fi

Professor

• Ante Aikio - Luobbal Sámmol Sámmol Ánte

University lecturers

• Sigga-Marja Magga (Head of the Institute) - Guhtur Niillas Juhána Sigga-Marja
• Marko Jouste
• Marja-Liisa Olthuis
• Markus Juutinen

University teachers

• Minna Rasmus - Elle Ovllá Elle Máreha Minna
• Kaarina Vuolab-Lohi
• Anna-Liisa Väyrynen
• Petter Morottaja
• Mervi Sistonen
• Miika Lehtinen

Researchers

• Outi Autti
• Päivi Magga
• Tapio Nykänen (Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT))
• Taarna Valtonen (Associate Professor (title of docent))
• Veli-Pekka Lehtola (Professor Emeritus
• Pekka Sammallahti (Professor Emeritus)