Laura Junka-Aikio
(copyright)
The Digital Footprints
The internet is today the place where new ideas and concepts are introduced, circulated, debated and adapted for everyday use. We studied how a new academic concept, “Non-Status Sámi”, has been disseminated and taken up in Finland by tracing up the concept’s “digital footprints” across different online platforms. Our research demonstrates that the concept spread surprisingly fast beyond academia, and in just five years, found its way even into formal legislative debates and documents.
The concept of Non-Status Sámi was introduced for the first time in Finland in 2012, from a PhD dissertation written by Erika Sarivaara. In the dissertation, the Non-Status Sámi were defined as people of Sámi descent, who are excluded from the electoral roll of the self-governmental body of the indigenous Sámi people. In Finnish legislation there are no “Status Sámi”, however, and according to the Sámi Parliament the Non-Status Sámi are Finns.
Our research concentrated on tracing the concept’s digital footprints in social and other digital media. A digital footprint is a trail of data one creates while using the Internet. Although it normally refers to the trails that individual users leave on the internet, we use it to describe and understand how the concept of “Non-Status Sámi” has travelled online, mainly in blogs and digital newspapers and journals, and how it has subsequently been used in political and academic discourses in Finland.
The research material shows how, since its inception, the concept of Non-Status Sámi spread both widely and rapidly beyond academia, and that its online dissemination was advanced actively by a fairly limited number of highly engaged bloggers. The bloggers presented the Sámi Parliament as an oppressor of the Non-Status Sámi by not recognizing their ethnic identity. Interplay between social and traditional media was also evident. In just five years, the concept had spread into parliamentary committee documents, speeches in the Finnish Parliament, and even documents of the Supreme Administrative Court.
Digitála luottat
Odne lea Internet dat báiki gos ođđa jurdagat ja konseptat introduserejuvvojit, juhkkojuvvojit ja heivejuvvojit árgabeaivválaš geavaheapmái. Mii dutkaimet movt ođđa akademalaš konseapta, ”Non-Status Sámi”, lea leavvan ja geavahuvvon Suomas nu ládje ahte leat guorran konseapta “digitála luottaid” iešguđetlágan online-geavahanvuogádagain. Min dutkamuš čájeha konseapta leavvat vuorddekeahtes leavttuin miehtá akademalaš máilmmi ja dušše viđa jagis dat ráhkadii geainnu maiddái formála láhkačálli digaštallamiidda ja dokumeanttaide.
Doaba ii- status sámevuohta introduserejuvvui vuosttaš hávi Supmii jagis 2012, leai doavttirdutkkus man Erika Sarivaara leai čállán. Dutkosis čilgejuvvui ii- status sámevuohta olmmožin sámi máttus ja mii leat olggoštuvvon sámi iešmearrideaddji ásahusa jienastuslogu listtus. Suoma lágain ii gávdno “sámi status”, ja Sámedikki jelgii leat ii-sámit suopmelaččat.
Min dutkamuš konsentrerii dasa ahte guorrat konseapta digitála luottaid sosiála mediain ja eará digitála mediain. Digitála luodda lea luodda man ráhkada dalle go geavaha Internet. Vaikko dat dábálaččat čujuha daidda luottaide maid ovttaskas geavaheaddjit dahket Internetii, de mii geavahit dan dalle go mii čilget ja ipmirdit man láhkai doaba “ii-sámi” lea jođašan online, eanemusat bloggain ja digitála áviissain ja áigečállosiin, ja movt dat dasto lea geavahuvvon politihkalaš ja akademalaš diskurssain Suomas.
Dutkanávdnasis oaidná movt doaba ii-sámi juo álggu rájis álggii leavvat sakka ja jođánit miehtá akademalaš máilmmi, ja movt dan leavvan fierpmádagas ovdánii aktiivvalaččat muhton ráddjejuvvon muhto oalle áŋgirušši bloggáriin. Bloggárat čilgejedje Sámedikki leat ii-sámiid soardideaddji danne go dat ii dohkket sin etnalaš identitehta. Gaskavuohta sosiála ja árbevirolaš mediaid gaskkas lea maid oalle čielggas. Dušše viđa jagis lea konseapta leavvan áššebáhpiriin gitta riikkabeaivvi lávdegottiide, sáhkavuoruide suoma parlameantta ja maiddái Alimus Hálddahusduopmustullui.
Teavsttat leat jorgaluvvon dávvesámegillii girječálli John Erling Utsis ja Camilla Brattland, Norgga árktalaš universiteahttamusea, lea divvon daid.