Opinion|Reader’s opinion
It is very disappointing that the university does not seem to be able to adhere to the ethical standards it expects from individual researchers.
Thing about putting the Sámi dead to rest (HS 13.8.) was great – and sad. Archbishop Tapio Luoma, who represented the Evangelical Lutheran Church, announced shortly after the burial that the church would consider starting its own reconciliation process. According to Luoma, the church is “a place of learning and repentance”.
To my shock, the University of Helsinki was conspicuous by its absence from the event, even though the university’s actions have caused trauma to communities for over a century. The continuing role in the continued colonialist policy towards the Sámi is undeniable, from the grave robberies that started in the 1870s to the later disappearance of skulls and the investigation of the “purity” of the Sámi race. I was especially shocked by the decision in the 1990s to return the bones to Saami for research use – still without giving the community permission to bury their ancestors.
Why hasn’t the University of Helsinki published an apology for the oppressive research policy towards the Sámi? It is very disappointing that the university does not seem to be able to adhere to the ethical standards it expects from individual researchers. When I recall the long list of excellent questions that the humanities ethics board asked about my own doctoral research, I can’t help but think: how would they evaluate the university’s activities in research related to the Sámi historically and today?
A working group has recently been set up at the University of Lapland to evaluate the ethical guidelines for research on the Sami people. I hope that the University of Helsinki and the foundations that finance research are able to do the same. In addition, I hope that the university will learn from the Evangelical Lutheran Church, i.e. taking a stand at the highest possible level and conducting its own internal investigation, especially in relation to the remains of the Sámi deceased who have disappeared from the university.
Annastiina Kallius
doctoral researcher in social anthropology, University of Helsinki
The reader’s opinions are speeches written by HS readers, selected and edited by the HS editorial board. You can leave an opinion piece or familiarize yourself with the principles of writing at the address www.hs.fi/kiryotamielipidekeisuis/.
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