Translate comics, suggests Sámi linguist

Nils Øyvind Helander, a Sámi language researcher, says public money would be better spent on the translation of Donald Duck comics than official documents, comments which have created a furor among Norwegian Sámi.

There are 80,000 Sámi in Norway, many of whom learn Sámi as a second language.

“We saw a great demand for the Sámi version of Donald Duck in the 80’s. Then, we understood how easy it was for children to get to know written Sámi through the comic. The simple texts are the first door to the world of the written word,” said journalist Aslak Mikal Mienna of Norway’s Sámi radio network.

“The Sámi version of Donald Duck would be read by children and parents, and would be useful for far more people [than government documents].”