100 Places To Remember: The Tundra, Norway
Geschreven op 31-1-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
A People Without Borders. In the cold, barren tundra in the northern stretches of Scandinavia live the Sámi people, nomadic reindeer herders whose lives are shaped by the movement of the reindeer, which in turn is determined by snow and wind conditions. The Sámi spend up to nine months of the year in the mountains.
Believed to be one of the last indigenous groups in Europe, the Sámi inhabit the vast region of Sápmi, which transcends the borders of four nation states, and stretching from central Norway to Sweden across northern Finland to the eastern end of the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
Their numbers are uncertain but 60-70,000 Sámi are estimated to live in Sápmi, most of them in Norway.
The Sámi have more than 400 words for reindeer, denoting their gender, age, colour, shape, etc. Although relatively few Sámi still lead a traditional lifestyle, reindeer herding remains an essential part of their culture. The herders possess invaluable knowledge of the mountains and snow-covered landscapes of the Nordic countries.
Due to climate change, this knowledge is no longer as reliable as it once was. Rising temperatures and mild winters have made the ice unsafe and forests have encroached on reindeer pastures. Rain falls instead of snow in winter, posing new problems for the Sámi and their herds. When the rain hits the cold ground it forms an extra layer of ice, preventing the reindeer from reaching the food beneath it. The Sámi are already living with the challenges thrown up by global warming. The projected rise in global temperatures represents a serious threat to the reindeer and to Sámi identity.
