Language Reclamation and Identity Construction through Meänkieli Tattoos

Meänkieli is an endangered Finno-Ugric language traditionally spoken in northern Sweden. The past assimilatory and oppressive policies of the Swedish state have contributed to a decline in speaker numbers, and caused a trauma related to the loss of language and identity. This study focuses on the role of Meänkieli tattoos for members of the community. The data comes from an article about Meänkieli tattoos and is analysed using multimodal and narrative analyses. The three themes identified in the Meänkieli skinscape are: 1) flora, fauna, and sacred places, 2) family ties, and 3) Meänkieli phrases. Tattoos are seen as a decolonial semiotic resource that connect the tattooed to places and people that they hold dear in the Torne Valley, thus supporting and anchoring their identities in the internal diaspora. This study contributes to our understanding of the significance of tattoos in a minoritised-language context, especially in cases of advanced languages loss.