September 21, 2001

Sami finally get TV news

Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — The more than 80,000 indigenous Sami who live in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia can now watch news in their own language.

The inaugural Sami-language newscast featured reports on a military exercise in Norway and parents fighting for a Sami school in Norway’s capital, Oslo.

The nine-minute program ended with a weather forecast focused on Scandinavia’s northern regions.

Instead of a traditional Sami dress, news anchor Biret Nystad wore a grey suit — much to the dismay of some Sami.

The show broadcasts every weekday evening. Most news is read in the northern Sami dialect, though once a week stories appear in other Sami dialects. All non-Sami interviews are dubbed, with subtitles in Norwegian or Swedish.

The program originates from Kautokeino, Norway, and is funded by the Norwegian government.