Engaging the voices of Sámi children: Sustaining traditional knowledge through kindergarten, school and community knowledge transfer

The project focuses on the use of Sámi traditional knowledge in Sámi kindergarten and school. Sámi content is included into the Sámi curriculum, but still each individual teacher must formulate teaching practice based on Sámi approaches to pedagogy and culture-based teaching. Earlier Sami school research has shown that teachers need support in order to access, reflect upon and formalize approaches to pedagogy rooted in Sámi ways of teaching and learning. In the project, researchers have studied approaches to Sámi kindergarten and school together with educators and teachers. The project have taken experiences from other indigenous peoples' education practices especially in the area of the circumpolar area. The research project has explored the expectations of children, pupils, parents and teachers for Sámi kindergarten and school. What content and teaching methods will teachers use in Sámi kindergartens and schools to access and share Sámi traditional knowledge? Are children in Sámi kindergarten and school interested in Sámi traditional knowledge? What do Sámi parents want that their children to learn? The project is an action research project, focusing on teachers' work on transforming Sámi kindergarten and school practice. Action research methodological approach was critical research of utopian action (Nielsen and Nielsen, 2006). The research was based on model of project manager's doctoral dissertation (Jannok Nutti, 2010). The researchers have in collaboration with Sámi kindergarten educators at three kindergartens and teachers at two primary schools, initiated, conducted, documented, observed and critically examined educational activities. In this work, have children, pupils and parents been included. Teacher students and a doctoral student have conducted their own study assignments in the project. The researchers in the project have collaborated with national and international educators and researchers. The research have had participants from northern Sámi and beyond to the southern Sámi area. Educational materials have been developed in the project. This respond to the field of Sámi education needs of publications, but it is also expected to be of value to other national and international educators and researchers with multicultural or indigenous focus. The educational materials are in different languages, including Northern and South Sami, Norweigian, and English. Articles about the project have been published and will still be published in several languages, including North Sami, Scandinavian, Finnish and English. The action research project is expected to be important by raising competence in and about Sami kindergarten, school and teacher education. Simultaneously, it enhances the development of Sámi teacher education and teachers? training through research. Through its practice-based approach, the project team members, project participants and collaboration partners will spread information in the field. When the research will cover Sápmi, on basis of Sámi education syllabi and curricula in Norway, Finland and Sweden, and it will involve participants from the north to south Sámi area will spread information.

Indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own educational system in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning. In Norway, Sámi schools follow the state regulated Sámi curriculum. Yet, an earlier evaluation has demonstrated that although the curriculum contains Sámi content, the teaching methods that pedagogues are employing, are not informed by Sámi approaches to pedagogy. Teachers need tools in order to transform practice so that western hegemony does not control education. Teachers need tools to empower, enhance awareness, and change the prevailing practices and to access, reflect upon and formalize approaches to pedagogy rooted in Sámi ways of teaching and learning. The purpose of the research is to reshape approaches to Sámi education informed by teaching and learning perspectives in kindergarten and primary school in the context of the contemporary local and global society. The focus is on the transfer from kindergarten to primary school and the creation of a bridge between. The research project will use an action research methodology and the team will collaborate with kindergarten and primary school teachers, and will also include students. Unlike earlier Sámi school research projects; children, parents, grandparents, and the extended family will be encouraged to contribute their voices and are expected to make a significant contribution to the research. The significance of this research project is first of all, to improve the competence of the Sámi teachers, and to enhances the development of Sámi teacher education and teacher training through research. The research will cover Sápmi, and involve participants from the north to the south Sámi area. Further, the project will focus Indigenous educational issues especially across the circumpolar area.