Start Date
4-25-2022 9:00 AM
End Date
4-25-2022 12:00 PM
Disciplines
Cultural History | European History | History
Subjects
Reindeer herding -- Northern Europe, Reindeer herding -- Environmental aspects -- Northern Europe, Sami (European people) -- History, Sami (European people) -- Hunting, Sami (European people) -- Ethnic identity
Abstract
The reindeer is a quintessential symbol of the Sami, the indigenous people of Northern Scandinavia. Reindeer have always been integral to Sami culture, but they have not always had the same significance that they do now. In the 16th and 17th centuries, reindeer herding practices shifted from small-scale domestication to large-scale reindeer herding and nomadism. This paper explores the political and cultural dynamics that surrounded this shift: pressure from encroaching settler nations, dwindling resources, and a loss of traditional practices. Ultimately, this shift irrevocably impacted Sami identity. Knowledge of the historical factors surrounding the transition to reindeer nomadism is essential to Sami cultural preservation and activism today.
Rights
© 2022 Ava A. Trueworthy
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/37789
Included in
Beyond Rudolph: The Cultural Impacts of Reindeer Herding on the Sami
The reindeer is a quintessential symbol of the Sami, the indigenous people of Northern Scandinavia. Reindeer have always been integral to Sami culture, but they have not always had the same significance that they do now. In the 16th and 17th centuries, reindeer herding practices shifted from small-scale domestication to large-scale reindeer herding and nomadism. This paper explores the political and cultural dynamics that surrounded this shift: pressure from encroaching settler nations, dwindling resources, and a loss of traditional practices. Ultimately, this shift irrevocably impacted Sami identity. Knowledge of the historical factors surrounding the transition to reindeer nomadism is essential to Sami cultural preservation and activism today.
Notes
Winner of the Karen E. Hoppes Young Historians Award for Outstanding Research and Writing.