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Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 978

Part of General Paper Session (Other abstracts in this session)

Multilingual Sámi children as authors: examining multimodal literacy practices in a multilingual Sámi classroom

Authors: Pitkänen-Huhta, Anne Kristiina
Submitted by: Pitkänen-Huhta, Anne Kristiina (University of Jyväskylä, Finland)

This presentation aims at examining young children’s multimodal literacy practices in an indigenous and endangered Sámi language classroom in Northern Finland. More specifically, the focus is on multimodal children’s picture books that the pupils of this classroom designed in this complex linguistic context. The position of the Sámi languages in people’s linguistic repertoires has changed dramatically during the past 60 years. As a consequence of broader societal processes Sámi languages have turned into endangered languages with only few speakers. Recent efforts of language revitalization have, however, increased the value of Sámi languages and created new language practices. In the case of indigenous languages, it is often the case that there is very little printed material available and therefore there are few established literacy practices. Especially the young users and learners of Sámi languages have to create new literacy practices that are meaningful for the users themselves. By using the term literacy practices I mean here both the text that is produced as well as the values and attitudes that are rooted in the culture and histories of communities.

The data for this paper were collected in a context of a larger research project on peripheral multilingualism and it consist of little picture books made by Sámi children and ethnographic data related to this process, including observation and discussion with the children and teachers. The children in focus here go to a Sámi medium primary school and their task was to design a children’s picture book by using the Sámi language closest to them. A discourse ethnographic approach to analyzing these multimodal picture books was adopted, and three different but interrelated orientations – and thus three different literacy practices – to the making of the books were found. The first book orients to Sámi culture and language and thus illustrates an orientation towards the official Sámi language policy, as it reproduces clearly marked boundaries between different Sámi languages and iconic representations of well-known Sámi symbols. The second book orients to the genre of children’s books. The choices the author of this book has made draw on the value of traditional established literacy practices and recycles existing resources. In contrast to these two, the final take on the book task brings forth the issues of mobility, relocalization, and aspiration. The imaginary move across linguistic, cultural and geographical boundaries in this book facilitates transformation and a new and fresh take on local resources.

Each of the three orientations organizes and values multimodal resources in their own way and thus each of children creates his/her own literacy practice.  These three orientations in designing the book and consequently, in the mobilization and organization of multimodal literacy resources point to the dynamicity and complexity typically found in a changing multilingual indigenous environment.