The 2023 Compass Rose Culture Prize goes to Suoma Sámi Nuorat – Finnish Sámi Youth for its work in supporting young Sámi people’s cultural identity and the Sámi language

Suoma Sámi Nuorat – Finnish Sámi Youth has been awarded the Otto A. Malm Foundation’s Compass Rose Culture Prize in recognition of its work to promote young Sámi people’s cultural identity and the Sámi languages.

Finnish Sámi Youth is a non-profit cultural advocacy organisation founded in 1991. It is active all over Finland, supporting young Sámi in their cultural identity and language. The organisation also campaigns to defend the Sámi people’s linguistic and cultural rights that are enshrined in the Finnish Constitution.Sámi rights have been in the spotlight in recent years, not least because of the controversial reform of the Sámi Parliament Act. Finnish Sámi Youth campaigned for a reform of the Act to respect the Indigenous Sámi people’s cultural autonomy. At a time when many young Sámi people risk losing their language and cultural identity, the organisation has been a crucial source of support for them.

Helping young Sámi to enjoy and take pride in their own language and identity