It has been a long process for Ubmeje to be the official Sami name for Umeå.
Already in 2012, Lantmäteriet rejected the municipality's application on the grounds that the Institute for Language and Folklore stated in its opinion that the city of Umeå is outside the Ume Sami range.
Something that was criticized by researchers and the decision was appealed by the municipality, which in 2017 was rejected by the government.
In 2020, Gudrun Nordborg (V) raised the issue again with her motion to the municipal council and on Monday they said yes to Umeå municipality making a new application to Lantmäteriet as the Institute for Language and Folklore is no longer a referral body.
"Great significance"
If Lantmäteriet approves the application, the municipality can put up road signs with the Sami name and the Sami name will also be visible on maps.
"There are many who do not know about the connection to the Sami and that there are reindeer pastures in Umeå municipality. It is very important to see your language in an official context. There is also a historical responsibility to draw attention to and revitalize the Ume Sámi language, said Paul Ol Jona Utsi, from the board of Umeå Sami Association, to Västerbottens-Kuriren a few weeks ago.