Sápmelaš, originally Sabmelaš, was a magazine written in Northern Sámi that was published in Finland[1] from 1932 to 2001.

History and profile

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Sápmelaš was launched in 1932[2] by Sámi Čuvgehussearvi. The magazine was started as a four-page publication and was distributed to all Sámi households for free.[2] It was financed by the Finnish government until 1995, after which the Sámi Parliament in Finland financed it for 6 years. 2001 saw the magazine fold due to a lack of financing.

The first editors were Paavo Ravila (1934–1943) and Erkki Itkonen (1934–1950). Although neither Ravila nor Itkonen were Sámi, they were both professors of Finno-Ugric languages at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Jouni Kitti served as editor from 1980 to 1998.

References

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  1. ^ Richard B. Baldauf; Robert B. Kaplan (2000). Language Planning in Nepal, Taiwan, and Sweden. Multilingual Matters. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-85359-483-0.
  2. ^ a b Kirsti Paltto (Summer 2010). "Publishing Sámi Literature—from Christian Translations to Sámi Publishing Houses". Studies in American Indian Literatures. 22 (2). JSTOR 10.5250/studamerindilite.22.2.42.