Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Finland was established in October 2021 as cooperation between the State of Finland, Sámi Parliament and Skolt Saami Siida Administration. The purpose of the commission is to raise awareness of the Sámi people as an indigenous people living in four countries. The objective of the work is to identify and assess historical and current discrimination and to strengthen the rights of the Sámi in Finland. The Commission’s work aims to promote links between the Sámi, Finnish society and the State of Finland by making the Sámi’s own voices heard.
Commission member Anni-Siiri Länsman considers the work now under way to be historically unique and very important.
“When the Commission’s work is completed at the end of 2025, we really hope that the voices and experiences of the Sámi will be seen and heard and there will be more information about the Sámi in Finland,” says Länsman.
Hearings of the Sámi provide the basis for the report
The Commission has consulted the Sámi around Finland and is using these hearings as the basis for its report, which will contain proposals for measures to develop the relationship between the Sámi and the State of Finland. The Commission’s work will continue until the end of 2025 in accordance with a Government decision.
One of the key steps in the Commission’s work involves transcribing the hearings, which means converting audio recordings into text format for analysis and reporting purposes. The Commission has consulted approximately 370 Sámi in Finland. The hearings ended in October, and recordings of all the hearings have to be accurately and reliably transcribed. The amount of material that requires transcription has been estimated at 450 hours. The audio recordings contain a lot of terminology and special names linked to the Sámi culture, and it is important to ensure that they are transcribed correctly.
A professional transcription service supports the Commission’s work
Lingsoft was chosen to provide the transcription service for audio recordings compiled by the Commission. Lingsoft began working with the Commission to transcribe the hearings in summer 2023, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in February 2025. Accurate and culturally-aware processing of the recordings is essential to the success of the Commission’s work. Lingsoft’s extensive experience ensures that this work can be done thoroughly and with care.
Lingsoft’s service ensures that the Commission’s report work progresses as planned and that all information obtained from the hearings can be analysed and used when writing the final report. Lingsoft’s professional work supports the Commission’s important mandate to raise awareness of the Sámi culture and strengthen the rights of the Sámi.
“Cooperation with Lingsoft has gone well. It is important for the Commission to know that the transcription work is being carried out in a secure manner with awareness of the great significance that this information holds for the Sámi community,” says Länsman. “The material is very valuable in terms of cultural history. It will provide the basis for understanding the intergenerational traumas, strengths and joys shared by the Sámi community.”
Further information on the Commission: www.sdtsk.fi (in Finnish).
