Of distress and distance: tracing the perfect stranger positionality on indigenous issues in Finnish teacher education

As Sámi truth and reconciliation efforts bring attention to Indigenous issues in the Nordic countries, teacher education (TE) emerges as a key forum for promoting knowledge and better majority–Sámi relationships. This article analyses the conditions affecting education and knowledge on Sámi matters in Finnish TE, as reflected by professionals working with/in TE institutions. Exploring the concept of teachers’ common perfect stranger positionality, a stance marked by ignorance and distancing from Indigenous education, this study considers how (dis)engagement with Sámi education is reproduced in Finnish TE. Reflexive thematic analysis of TE professionals’ interviews indicates the complex societal, institutional, and internalised conditions that may culminate in future teachers’ perfect stranger positionalities. These include tensions of societal polarisation, institutional resources, and heightened difficult emotions. Considering these multifaceted dimensions, this article emphasises how the implications for Finnish TE extend beyond educational content in order to support Finnish teachers’ capacity to commit to Sámi education.