In the following Rauna Kuokkanen´s point of view on which way the education should be designed for those indigenous parts of the population are presented:
Rauna Kuokkanen argues for the Sami philosophy of the gift as the basis for a transformative pedagogical framework. In general the Sami land-based worldview recognizes the ‘gifts of the land’, ‘interpersonal gifts’ and the ‘giftedness of individuals’; hereby especially the concepts of Láhi and Attáldat.
Láhi, or Ipmil Láhi or in some regions Jupmel, means ‘God´s gift’ and has been referred to as a religion but more likely in a way of living in a close relationship with the land (eg. cosmologies, ontologies and philosophies).
Attáldat is defined as the giftedness or skill every person has and also every person has to share with others. So the concept of Attáldat is very important for the Sami education.
In the Sami worldview the nature is a spiritual entity (cosmos) with different realms and spheres in which spirits, humans, animals and deities are living. The deity Máttáráhkká and her daughters Sáráhkká, Uksáhkka and Juksáhkka are the basis of that cosmic order and therefore have the most important role in the concept of Láhi. So the Sami can practice ‘sieidie gifting’ by choice to thank the spirits or to ensure luck for the future at special locations nearby hunting or fishing sites, camp grounds or other sacred places, called Sieidies.
For the Sami education encouraging and supporting individual skills, independent from age, as pedagogical practice would be ideal. So there would be no need for curricula or time so that the school year depends just on seasons, needs and interests. And also the students would be responsible of their own learning together with the teachers.
So now when Attáldat means “something that a person has to give or share” (Kuokkanen) and teaches a strong collective dimension and responsibility towards others also between the generations, and Láhi teaches to recognize the gifts of the land and a care-taking relationship with land, ancestors and relations in spiritual realm, these concepts would be, together with the ‘Sami gift philosophy’ which teaches good values in common and also responsibility towards limited recourses, ideal for Sami education and their pedagogical practices as guiding principles.
In my opinion Kuokkanen suggests a good fitting education especially for the Sami, but I think that there will be problems when they need to keep up with international standards of education because there is no standard of knowledge or education that has to be accomplished within a certain time in her form of education.