Renbete på vintermarker. Natur och kultur i Sápmi

Abstract

This essay explores reindeer needs of variation in winter grazing lands, with focus on mountain Sámi villages with year-round pasture in Jokkmokk municipality, Norrbotten county, Sweden. It illuminates the relation between nature and culture within Sami traditions. Their ancient connections to the landscape is emphasized with studies of topynyms in this area. The essay then concerns how today’s forestry effect reindeer pasture. The study is based in ethnobiology and perform these matters with interviews, litterateur and inventories of selected habitats. Choose informants are Jan Erik Länta, chairman of Jåhkågasska Sámi village and reindeer keeper Apmut Ivar Kuoljok, Sirges Sámi village. The research showed that reindeer require variation of habitats, between habitats and within habitats. Crucial for winter grazing is reindeer access to the food, which depends on snow and weather conditions which in turn varies between and during seasons. Regarding information about land forms the topynyms in Sámi language has lots to tell, although there’s some difficulties with translation. The Sámi language has changed and is often hard to translate due to shortage in Swedish variability, says Kuoljok. Forestry has affected grazing lands with soil preparations, cutovers and implantations of the North American lodgepole pine, among other things. These interferences have far-reaching consequences. This essay can increase the understanding for the complexities in ecological systems and conflicts that may appear when different interest groups need the same land. It gives an insight into Sámi peoples difficulties to influence state actions regarding their grazing lands. A sustainable forest management where reindeer management and forestry can interact is described as a possible solution in strategic areas.