Pigga Keskitalo

Pigga Päivi Kristiina Keskitalo (born 1972, Utsjoki) is a member of the Sámi Parliament of Finland and education researcher at the University of Helsinki, University of Lapland, and the Sámi University.

Biography

Keskitalo was born in Utsjoki in 1972. She earned her first degree in education in 1997 from the University of Lapland and worked as a teacher. She graduated with a MA in 2008, from the same university. She undertook doctoral research at the University of Lapland and graduated in 2010 with a PhD which explored Sámi cultural sensitivity through educational anthropology.

Research

Keskitalo researches Sámi education in contemporary and historical settings and has published widely on the subject, including on the history of Sámi education in Norway. Another aspect of her research is how cultural backgrounds influence perceptions of nature in the education system. She is a proponent of the right for Sámi children to be able to learn their languages.

In 2014 she began work at the University of Helsinki. She is project lead at the Institute of Migration, exploring multicultural childhoods in Lapland.

Politics

Keskitalo was elected a member of the Sámi Parliament in 2016. She is a deputy member of the Enontekiö Vitality Committee. Keskitalo was re-elected from 2020 until 2023.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keskitalo, Pigga
1972 births
Living people
University of Lapland alumni
Members of the Sámi Parliament of Finland
Finnish women academics
21st-century Finnish women politicians
People from Utsjoki
Finnish Sámi academics
Finnish academics