Irja Seurujärvi-Kari

Irja Anneli Seurujärvi-Kari
Born November 21, 1947, Utsjoki.

Doctor of Philosophy (Finno-Ugric Languages), 2012, University of Helsinki
Master of Arts (English Philology), 1974, University of Oulu

Lecturer, Sámi Language and Culture, 1986-, University of Helsinki

Researcher, Institute for the Languages of Finland, 1985/6
Head, Utsjoki upper secondary school for Sámi, 1978-85
Lecturer, Sámi language, 1976/7, University of Oulu
Lector, English and Swedish, Ivalo comprehensive school, 1974-76

Research interests
Sámi and indigenous rights movements, identity politics and rights of indigenous peoples, etymological and ontological issues for indigenous peoples, Sámi languages, endangered languages and revitalisation.

Publications, research projects and other academic activities

Photo: Ulla Aikio-Puoskari
Written by Irja Seurujärvi-Kari, Kaija Hartikainen (ed.)
Translated by John Calton

Many indigenous people settle in environments which are among the world’s richest in terms of biodiversity. Indigenous peoples live in 85 per cent of the globe’s areas designated as protected. The preservation of these areas ensures natural diversity and has a global impact on climate.

In the mid-1990s I had the ambitious goal of organising an international seminar series on indigenous peoples called Rievttit–Rights, which indeed came to be organised. Two eager Sámi language students of mine helped me to plan the first seminar.

Research has to be objective and its goal should be to discover universal regularities, but who has the right and the power to define what objective research actually is? Who has the authority to define and speak for indigenous peoples?

375 Humanists

Irja Seurujärvi-Kari

Irja Seurujärvi-Kari

Knowledge of indigenous peoples and cultural heritage makes for sustainable and equitable environmental development

My best memory at the University of Helsinki

The voice of the Sámi researcher