Tornedalians and Meänkieli
Tornedalians are one of Sweden’s national minorities, with their own language, culture, and a long history in the Torne Valley.
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History of the Tornedalians
Tornedalians, Lantalaiset, and Kvens together make up a national minority. They originate from the Torne Valley in northern Sweden, mainly in the municipalities of Kiruna, Pajala, Övertorneå, Haparanda, and Gällivare.
Long before 1809, the Torne Valley was a multilingual region where Finnish and Sami dominated. When the border between Sweden and Finland was drawn along the Torne and Muonio rivers, the Torne Valley became part of Sweden.
Language loss and assimilation
In the 1880s, the Swedish state introduced an assimilation policy in the Torne Valley. Children were forbidden to speak Finnish in school, both during lessons and breaks. Many people lost their language and culture during this time.
It was not until 1957 that children were allowed to speak Finnish during breaks. In the 1960s, it became possible to learn Finnish in school in Haparanda.
Symbols of the Tornedalians
The Tornedalians have their own flag – Meänflaku. According to its creator, Herbert Wirlöf, the blue-white-yellow flag symbolizes the blue summer sky, the yellow sun, and the white winter landscape.
Meänkieli
Meänkieli is the language of the Tornedalians. For a long time, it had low status and was at risk of disappearing.
In the 1970s, attitudes toward cultural diversity began to change. In 1999, Meänkieli was recognized as an official minority language in Sweden.
Today, around 70,000 people speak or understand Meänkieli fully or partially. Most live in the Torne Valley and the mining districts, but many have also moved to cities such as Stockholm, Umeå, Luleå, and Boden, following large-scale migration in the 1950s.
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