Today I have something special to show you. That is not me in my Sámi costume in the picture above. It is something more remarkable. Something that gives us all a good reason for a celebration. Today I will celebrate. Hope you will join me where ever you are!
Earlier this summer I told you about the discrimination what Forest Sámi people face in Finland. One reason for it is the forced giving up of our own spoken Sámi language. Today our volunteer language team has published the 1st ever video about spoken Eastern Kemi Sámi language! We have brought it back! Baby steps but huge for us all! I want to tell that for this work, or the video, we have not received any public or private funding. We do have been applying it for several times but the answer is always no. Because Sámi Parliament doesn't support Forest Sámi people at all.
Maddârek - Esivanhemmat - Ancestors
Itäkeminsaamea puhuttuna - Eastern Kemi Sámi spoken
Oli kerran äijä, Caijâž.
Once there was a man, Caijâž.
Se tuli veneellä joea pitkin,
He came by a boat along the river,
kulki ja katseli, kunnes tuli
jokiyhtymä ja niemi.
traveled and watched, until he reached a
river junction and a cape.
Ukko katseli, “onpa hyvä niemi
tässä”.
The old man looked around, “This is a fine
cape.”
Vielä ukko kuunteli, “mikä
tuolla, joka jylisee?”
And he listened, “What is that rumbling
over there?”
Souteli ja kohta näki,
He rowed on, and soon he saw,
suuri elo, peuratokka, tolvasi
menemään.
a great stock, a herd of reindeer, was dashing
away.
Ukko nousi veneestä rantaan,
veti veneen törmän päälle
The man stepped out of the boat onto the
shore, pulled the boat up onto the bank,
ja katseli, tuumi, “tähän on
hyvä tulla ja jäädä asumaan”.
and looked around, thinking, “This is a
good place to come and stay.”
Alkoi siinä niemessä asumaan
perheensä kanssa.
He started to live on that cape with his
family.
Siitä syntyi Saijan paikka.
That’s how the place called Saija was started.
(Saija is one village in our siida region.)
***
Täällä kun on niin kaunis sää,
menetkö sinä kalastamaan illalla?
Since the weather is so beautiful, will you
go fishing this evening?
Joo pitää mennä.
Yes, I should go.
No hyvä, niin saadaan syödäkin.
Well, that’s good, then we’ll have
something to eat.
Ota tyttö matkaan, oppimaan
pyydyksiä.
Take the girl with you, so she can learn
about the traps.
Lähde vain matkaan, onki ja
isän laukku mukaan.
Come on now, take the rod and dad’s bag.
Minne se minun lampaantaljaien
rouko on hukkunut?
Where has my sheepskin blanket gone?
Tuolla se on pirtin nurkassa.
Me menemme nyt!
It’s over there in the corner of the cabin.
We’re going now!
Onpa kaunis taivas!
What a beautiful sky!
No, kyllä vain. Ota se verkko
sieltä!
Yes it is. Grab the net from there!
Eipä tartu kala onkeen.
The fish aren’t biting.
No, hauki vaihtaa nyt
hampaitaan, niin eihän se tartu.
Well, the pike is changing its teeth now,
so of course it won’t bite.
Onko siellä majava?
Is there a beaver over there?
Kyllä siellä vielä viimekesänä
oli.
Yes, there was one last summer.
Näin sen uimassa.
I saw it swimming.
Menemme nyt kotiin.
Let’s go home now.
Äiti, katso kala!
Mother look, a fish!
Jo on iso siika.
That’s a big whitefish.
Keitän tästä illalla keiton.
I’ll make soup from it this evening.
Sanat =
words:
äiti =
mother
isä =
father
mummo =
grandmother
ukki =
grandfather
silmä =
eye
työ = work
kala = fish
Thank you for your time! Because you bothered to read this all and see the video, you helped us to spread the word about our culture!
Love you all!