ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the heritage language policies in Norway in relation to the Kven language, a Finnic minority language spoken primarily in Northern Norway. The Kven were seen as foreign and targeted by stringent assimilation policies, resulting in a widespread language shift. Current trends of protecting and maintaining Kven differ radically from historical policies. Norway has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and in 2005, because of dialogue with the Council of Europe, Kven was recognized as a minority language in Norway. As a consequence of recent diversity-oriented policies, the Kven are no longer perceived as foreign but rather as a part of Norwegian cultural heritage. We investigate the impact of the Charter and important national language policy documents endorsing or affecting the situation of Kven in official state-level language policies, with a particular emphasis on the education system, standardization and revitalization efforts, and the role of new speakers in these processes.
