Swedish commission highlights moral responsibility for mistreatment of Meänkieli speakers in northern Sweden

A Swedish truth and reconciliation commission has researched the Swedish assimilation policies directed at the Meänkieli-speaking population in northern Sweden for over three years. In November 2023, the commission published its report, stating that the Swedish state and church bear a moral responsibility for the mistreatment of the Tornedalians, Kvens, and Lantalais during the 19th and 20th centuries. The commission recommended that the government and church apologize and initiate a reconciliation process with the minority community.

Bengt Niska, a 72-year-old Meänkieli activist from Pajala and a commission member, expressed disappointment over the lack of an apology from the Swedish government, nearly a year after the report’s release. “Someone must be dragging their feet. The longer the state waits, the more people will pass away,” Niska stated.

The report includes interviews with 166 individuals, revealing harsh memories from Swedish schools and workhouses established in the early 20th century, where children were forced to speak only Swedish. These workhouses aimed to assimilate the minority population and were supported by a racist ideology that deemed Finnish-speaking individuals inferior.

Meänkieli, considered a dialect of the Tornedalian area in Sweden, achieved minority language status in 2000. The language and cultural area was divided after Sweden ceded Finland to Russia in 1809. Many Meänkieli speakers now live in Pajala, Övertorneå, and nearby regions.

The report indicates that decades of assimilation policies have severely impacted many generations, with the loss of language skills persisting. Evelina Estola, a young woman from Övertorneå, believes herself fortunate to have learned both Finnish and Meänkieli, despite many young people lacking similar opportunities. Currently, she works at a language preservation institute, which faces uncertain funding due to proposed budget cuts by the right-wing government.