Author: Ella Mattila

In this blog post, I will discuss the phenomenon of a widespread ignorance about Indigenous peoples and colonial histories, especially from the perspective of education and educational research. The text is based on my doctoral research, in particular on its second sub-study article, which was published at the end of 2024. 

Indigenous issues have gained media attention in Finland in the past week, particularly following Sámi activist and writer Petra Laiti’s in-depth essay on the problematic use of the term “Lapland” to refer to the northernmost regions of the Nordic countries. Laiti critiques how the term, especially in English, carries stereotypical and “mythical” connotations amplified by the tourism industry, obscuring the realities and presence of the Sámi, the Indigenous people of the lands. The Sámi are spread across the borders of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Russia, and their Indigenous status and rights are protected under the Finnish constitution. In both the original essay and follow-up posts, Laiti highlights how the discussions in and around her essay reflects widespread ignorance about Sámi matters: 

“[I]t’s my experience that hearing about Saami rights can be difficult for Nordic people to digest. I try my best to give my audience grace – most Nordic people don’t know enough about us Saami to fully understand. That is one major effect of the colonization my people face.” (petralaiti Instagram-post, 16.1.2025) 

This is not the first time the issue of ignorance about Sámi matters has been raised in Finland. The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance has given notice to Finland about the majority’s worrisome lack of knowledge in two successive reports. Sámi advocacy groups have repeatedly warned Finland about the consequences of such ignorance, noting its impact on Sámi livelihoods, self-determination, and the hate speech and racism the Sámi face in daily life.  

Ignorance about Sámi and other minority issues is a core concern in my ongoing doctoral research. Through my work, it has become emergingly clear that the issue is not uniquely Finnish. Across the globe, there is increasing recognition of similar ignorance concerning Indigenous peoples, prompting to ask: What kind of ignorance are we dealing with if it spans across continents? Moreover, as education systems play a central role in shaping societal knowledge, what can be done to address this ignorance, both in Finland and globally? 

Ignorance comes in many forms, some of which are a natural consequence of limited resources and capacity for learning – I, for example, know very little about different dog breeds or the UK parliament system, but the reasons for that don’t go much deeper than lack of time and specialization in the topics. Sullivan and Tuana (2007), however, note how some forms of ignorance may be tied to preserving privilege and the interests of the powerful. In Finland, as in many countries, the dynamics between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations are shaped by settler colonialism – a unique form of colonialism where settlers “come to stay”, causing a process of erasure, displacement, and replacement of the original Indigenous inhabitants (see Wolfe, 2006). The history and forms of settler colonialism remain poorly understood in Finland, often dismissed with the argument that there has been “no colonial history” in Finland. 

In response to this context, my supervisors and I began to view ignorance about Indigenous peoples not as mere “lack of knowledge,” but as something tied to broader social forces. In spring 2024, we set up to review 51 articles and book chapters on “settler ignorance” from six settler-colonial contexts – Finland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We found it relevant to explore how such ignorance is conceptualized across national borders to increase understanding of the possible means to address it (also Cook, 2020). 

Our review revealed that settler ignorance operates on multiple levels. The lack of knowledge is often linked to how learning about Indigenous peoples is hindered by prevailing stereotypes and the emotional sensitivity of the topic. Difficult conversations about colonial violence and trauma can provoke feelings of anxiety, guilt, fear, and grief in learners, leading also to (semi-)willful avoidance or denial. However, the literature also highlighted the importance of understanding the phenomenon’s long entanglement with structural silencing and history that extends beyond individual interests: across contexts, people expressed surprise and shock at having never learned about Indigenous issues, often articulating the motivation to engage further with the subject. This receptivity seems promising for any future educational interventions. 

So, what could this mean for education and educational research? While increasing the presence of Indigenous content and teaching in different levels of education is a self-evident step, our review suggests that it is also one that should not be underestimated. Based on the review, we cannot expect most students to know basic facts about colonialism, for example, and the systemic silences around Indigenous matters make it uncertain whether students will be exposed to such knowledge outside of formal education. However, teaching “about” Indigenous peoples and their experiences is not enough on its own. Education should be led and informed by Indigenous peoples themselves to ensure that it is relevant and fosters authentic relationship-building. 

Furthermore, our findings highlight the need to address not only the cognitive but also the emotional and social dimensions of ignorance. Support for emotional struggles and self-reflection may be crucial for learners (un)learning their previous assumptions and confronting issues of colonial accountability. Education, therefore, requires a delicate balance: acknowledging the very real vulnerability surrounding the topics while simultaneously creating spaces to challenge deeply ingrained ignorance and address ongoing injustice, which may inevitably entail discomfort. 

Tackling ignorance about Indigenous peoples is not only about general awareness but also a matter of social justice, human rights, and anti-racism in education. We must be cautious about assuming that educational knowledge alone will be sufficient to overcome such a powerful colonial phenomenon. Educational initiatives are often contested by entrenched attitudes and assumptions that have become part of the majority’s “common sense” and national identity (Cook, 2020). Nonetheless, while education may not be the sole cause of settler ignorance, it plays a key role in its continuation (Godlewska et al., 2010; 2020). Therefore, education systems can and should be expected to engage with the Indigenous peoples and to present little tolerance for willful ignorance that harms Indigenous communities. As one of our reviewed articles aptly put it, “awareness alone can lead to the kinds of changes we are seeking, or at the very least offer a first step” (Augustus, 2015, p. 6). 

The full review paper can be found here:  

Mattila, E., Lindén, J., & Annala, J. (2024). Reviewing educational conceptualisations of transnational settler ignorance. Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2024.2437405  

Ella Mattila is a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University. Her research interests include Indigenous and minority education, critical whiteness studies, and anti-colonial and anti-racist teacher education. 

References: 

Augustus, C. (2015). Knowledge liaisons: Negotiating multiple pedagogies in global indigenous studies courses. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 45(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v45i4.184894 

Cook, A. (2018). Recognizing settler ignorance in the truth and reconciliation commission. Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, 4(4), 6. https://doi.org/10.5206/fpq/2018.4.6229  

Godlewska, A., Moore, J., & Bednasek, C. D. (2010). Cultivating ignorance of aboriginal realities. The Canadian Geographer, 54(4), 417–440. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0064.2009.00297.x  

Godlewska, A. M. C., Schaefli, L. M., Forcione, M., Lamb, C., Nelson, E., & Talan, B. (2020). Canadian colonialism, ignorance and education. A study of graduating students at Queen’s University. Journal of Pedagogy, 11(1), 147–176. https://doi.org/10.2478/jped-2020-0008 

Sullivan, S. & Tuana, N. (2007). Race and epistemologies of ignorance. Suny Press. 

Wolfe, P. (2006). Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native. Journal of Genocide Research, 8(4), 387–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623520601056240