Paradigmatic disharmonies and dilemmas in special educational practices for Sámi children and youth in Norway.

Abstract

The Sámi are the only recognised Indigenous peoples in Europe. The traditional homeland, Sápmi, stretches today over the countries Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola peninsula in Russia. The aim of this article is to pinpoint critical issues related to special educational support for Sámi children and youth in Norway. Research on this topic is scarce. Research conversations were held in 2022 with 10 Sámi special education teachers. The Sámi special education teachers’ narratives reveal how their language proficiency, cultural and subject knowledge, and special educational competencies allow them to bridge the paradigmatic disharmonies and dilemmas in special educational practices in Norway to various extent. To illustrate the results the article presents three scenarios depicting the Sámi special education teacher as a strong instrumentalist bridging between paradigmatic disharmonies; as a frustrated player constantly improvising to find the harmony; or playing an instrument that is not included in the symphony.