The Prospects of Ethnography at the Sámi School

Abstract

Ethnographic research has become a salient qualitative research method for studying the phenomena of education and schooling and when the aim is to reach the authentic reality. But how applicable is this method to indigenous peoples’ research, such as the Sámi? What is the ethnographer’s role at the Sámi School? The purpose of this article is to 1) contemplate the ethnographic research approach in school research, 2) review its applicability to studying Sámi education by using one ethnographic research process as an example, and 3) to create a picture of the Sámi School with the ethnographic research. Ethnography seems to suit well indigenous studies if the aim is to genuinely understand the target, like the Sámi School in the sample research, together with the research partners and from their point of view – especially, if the researcher is also a bearer of the Sámi culture.