In Search of Virtual Learning Spaces for Sámi Languages

The sense of self as a meaningful member of a community, and a sense of connection to ancestral lands, cultural traditions, family and relatives are often the core elements of Indigenous meaning-making and identity building processes (Smith 2008; Kuokkanen 2009; McCarty, Nicholas and Wyman 2012). Those with close connections to the culture, and who live in the proximity to Indigenous cultural and linguistic centres are more likely to be able to convey cultural heritage to the next generation. Jin Sook Lee and Eva Oxelson (2006: 455) summarise the importance of knowing and being proficient in a heritage language by saying that for the speakers and learners,