“Primitive” People Prone to Reading

Authors

• Ritva Kylli Oulun yliopisto

Abstract

Between the 1600s and the early 19th century the Sami of what is today called Finnish Lapland adopted the Christian system of values that was new to them. The history of the education of the Sami can be studied by focusing on examples taken from church registers and other written sources. Since official documents portray events from the perspective of the majority, this material must be complemented using oral histories collected from the Sami as well as the material brought to light by archaeological excavations. During the 18th century the Sami were increasingly learning Christianity, admitted to schools and started acquiring Christian literature. This transition came, to some extent, from the outside in the form of priests and other officials who arrived in the region, but was mostly due to active interest by the Sami themselves. The Sami were considered primitive, but they were nevertheless eager to read in the 1700s.