Road signs in Sámi region limited to two languages, forcing competition between Indigenous tongues

Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports that Sámi communities in northern Finland are calling for changes to road sign regulations that currently restrict signs to just two languages—Finnish and one Sámi language—despite multiple Sámi languages being spoken in the region.

The Sámi Parliament has refused to choose between Indigenous languages and is demanding negotiations with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto) to allow multilingual signage. The agency has acknowledged the issue and expressed willingness to discuss solutions.

Competition over limited space In Inari municipality, where three Sámi languages—Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi, and Northern Sámi—are widely spoken, the current rule forces communities to prioritise one over others. In Nellim village, a dispute arose after Skolt Sámi representatives insisted signs in their area should use Skolt Sámi, raising concerns about excluding Inari Sámi.

Veikko Feodoroff, a Skolt Sámi trustee, called the situation “frustrating,” noting that endangered languages should not be pitted against each other. “Places where Skolt Sámi live should naturally use Skolt Sámi, but Nellim is home to both our language groups—both should have space,” he told Yle.

Calls for policy reform The Sámi Parliament surveyed local Sámi speakers on language preferences for signs, but its Language Council declined to make a final decision, arguing it lacked the mandate to choose between Indigenous tongues. Vice Chair Leena Niittyvuopio-Jämsä criticised the agency’s Finnish-centric approach, questioning why Finnish must appear on signs at all in Sámi homelands.

“Our culture does not thrive on forcing small Sámi languages to compete for visibility,” she said, pointing to Norway’s multilingual signs—some displaying only Sámi languages—as a potential model.

Agency open to change Väylävirasto’s Tuomas Österman acknowledged the regulation’s shortcomings, noting it was drafted without full consideration of Finland’s Sámi languages. While he cited readability concerns for multilingual directional signs, he confirmed that place-name signs could already accommodate multiple Sámi languages.

“The rules aren’t set in stone,” Österman said, adding that the agency is prepared to explore solutions tailored to local needs. Further negotiations with the Sámi Parliament are planned.