“The Sami have no obligation whatsoever to explain every root and branch of our culture in order to justify our demand to be taken seriously.”

Petra Laiti (peh-trah leye-tee)

Chairperson of the Sámi youth organization

IMAGE SOURCE: Martti Kainulainen. “8,000 climate march in Helsinki.” Helsingin Sanomat. 20 Oct. 2018. | QUOTE SOURCE: Petra Laiti. “Basic questions about saaminess reveal not-so-hidden racism.” Multilingualmonth.org. 19 Mar. 2018.

IMAGE SOURCE: Martti Kainulainen. “8,000 climate march in Helsinki.” Helsingin Sanomat. 20 Oct. 2018. | QUOTE SOURCE: Petra Laiti. “Basic questions about saaminess reveal not-so-hidden racism.” Multilingualmonth.org. 19 Mar. 2018.

QUOTE CONTEXT: “A lasting solution is that the power to govern ourselves is returned to the Saami. This is not a Saami problem; it’s a problem of the Finnish society not understanding the privileged position that ignorance gives them.”

QUOTE QUESTION: How have you expressed your demands to be taken seriously?


IMAGE CONTEXT: “Sámi Petra Laiti taught politicians on the steps of the Parliament.”

IMAGE QUESTION: Who needs to hear your amplified voice?


MEDIA LITERACY CONTEXT: The text is from an online opinion piece by Petra Laiti. The photo is from a major Finnish newspaper.

MEDIA LITERACY QUESTION: How do you decide how it’s best to amplify your voice in the media?


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“It’s as if our history has been deleted because, when we go to a museum, there are rock paintings but it does not say that they are by the Sami. ”

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“We have always been forced to defend our rights. We refuse to look away while the Finnish state tramples on the rights of our people.”