The “Min čoakkáldat – Our Collection” project at Sámi Museum Siida aims to enhance the accessibility of the museum’s artifact collections, promote community-driven museum practices, and support the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. One of the key objectives of the project is to develop the siida.finna.fi search service with functionalities in Sámi languages, starting with a North Sámi version of the website. This initiative lays a strong foundation for incorporating additional Sámi languages into the platform in the future.
Finna is a search portal that provides access to digital materials and collection catalogs from around 100 Finnish archives, libraries, and museums. Significant parts of Sámi Museum Siida’s collection are also available on Finna. Currently, object descriptions on siida.finna.fi are only in Finnish. During the project, these descriptions will be translated into North Sámi, and the museum’s collection management system, Collecte, will be updated to support Sámi-language content. The ultimate goal is to create a fully North Sámi search service that enables interactive contributions from the Sámi community and facilitates the sharing of knowledge in a digital environment for future generations.
The North Sámi version of the siida.finna.fi website is expected to be ready for testing by late 2024. The project will culminate in early 2025 with workshops where members of the Sámi community can try out the platform and provide feedback. This initiative promotes linguistic equality and the realization of fundamental rights for Sámi people in Finland. Additionally, the North Sámi version of the site will benefit Sámi communities across the Nordic countries, giving the project an international dimension.
Key partners in this project include the National Library of Finland’s “Support for Sámi Languages in Digital Services” initiative, which developed the North Sámi Finna interface, and the Userix company, which collaborates with Sámi Museum Siida to enhance Collecte’s Sámi-language options. The project is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.
Project Duration: January 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025