6 Where can you read and hear South Saami?

Until quite recently, South Saami was rarely heard outside the private sphere of South Saami families, their workplace and their festivals. Today, however, in the designated South Saami municipalites, one can see South Saami place names on signs and  information written on South Saami on boards and posters in official buildings, in shops etc. In principal, all communication with the state, regional or municipal authorities in these areas could be carried in South Saami if the citizen wants to. The authorities also should give out their information, all forms etc in South Saami alongside the two official standard forms of Norwegian. In reality however, this is not always the case.

One domain merits special mention: reindeer herding and South Saami language is deeply connected. Offering a precise and stable vocabulary connected to the animals, tools and procedures, the language has been a vital part of the reindeer herding culture and economy. As such, the reindeer herding and the people connected to it have always been important, resilient carriers of the linguistic heritage.