Norwegianization was the official government policy carried out by the Norwegian government against the Sami and later the Kven people of northern Norway to assimilate non-Norwegian-speaking native populations into an ethnically and culturally uniform Norwegian population. The policy was discontinued in the 1980s and reparations have been made in the form of financial support for the Sámediggi and other related programs. In 1997, the King of Norway, HM King Harald V made an official apology on behalf of the government to the Sami and Kven People because of this government program:
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The state of Norway was founded on the territory of two peoples - the Sámi people and the Norwegians. Sámi history is closely intertwined with Norwegian history. Today, we express our regret on behalf of the state for the injustice committed against the Sámi people through its harsh policy of Norwegianization. |
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