Indigenous peoples and national minorities
Boden Municipality actively works to protect Sweden’s national minorities, strengthen their opportunities and rights to influence, and promote both the minority languages and the cultures of the national minorities.
Updated:
Quick summary of each heading on the page
Please note that all forms, digital applications (e-services) and some linked websites are currently in Swedish. Contact Citizen Service if you need help in English.
Sweden’s national minorities
For many generations, several languages and cultures have lived side by side in Sweden. To protect this diversity, the Swedish Parliament recognized five national minorities and their languages in 1999. This recognition gives these groups special rights, including the right to use their language and preserve their culture.
The national minorities have lived in Sweden for a long time, long before the 20th century. They are characterized by the fact that they:
- Have their own languages, cultures, and traditions
- Are smaller in number than the majority population
- Have a non-dominant position in society
- Wish to preserve and develop their identity
The five recognized minorities are:
- Swedish Finns
- Tornedalians
- Sami – the Indigenous people of Sweden
- Roma
- Jews
These groups have all contributed to Sweden’s history and culture and continue to be an important part of society today.
National minority languages
The national minority languages are a central part of Sweden’s cultural heritage. To be considered a national minority language, it must have been spoken in Sweden for a long time, by a group smaller than the majority population, and it must not be a dialect or an immigrant language.
Sweden has five national minority languages:
- Finnish
- Meänkieli
- Sami – with several varieties such as North Sami, South Sami, and Lule Sami
- Romani – with varieties such as Arli, Kalderash, Kalé, Lovari, and Swedish Romani
- Yiddish
These languages are protected by law to ensure that they are passed on to future generations and continue to be a living part of our society.
Do you want to access a specific document? Contact Citizen Service, and we will help you retrieve and read the full document.
Contact
Citizen Service
E-mail: kommunen@boden.se
Phone: +46 921 620 00