Professor emeritus Nils Øivind Helander was named winner of the Nordic Sámi language prize Gollegiella on 11 November. The announcement in Helsinki recognised his longstanding work to develop North Sámi and strengthen its use in education, public life and academic settings.
Helander, who lives in Tana, has worked at the University of Tromsø, Sámi University of Applied Sciences and Norway’s Sámi Parliament. The award citation highlights his contributions as a teacher, researcher and language specialist, including work on terminology and language administration.
The prize was established jointly by ministers responsible for Sámi affairs and the presidents of the Sámi parliaments in Norway, Sweden and Finland. First awarded in 2004, it is presented every two years to people or organisations supporting Sámi languages.
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Original summary based on the sources above, checked for the November 12, 2026 edition. Reference dates are shown separately from the edition date.