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Paper short abstract

In the Finnish North, transhumance has never lost its relevance, although it has undergone significant changes. Transhumance has been and continues to be at the heart of Sámi reindeer herding. Apart from being a viable livelihood reindeer herding has become crucial for Sámi identity formation.

Paper long abstract

In the Finnish North, transhumance has never lost its relevance, although it has undergone significant changes. Transhumance has been and continues to be at the heart of Sámi reindeer herding. Today, the reindeer roam freely between the four seasonal pastures, spring calving ground, summer ear marking, autumn mating grounds and separation/slaughtering in winter. Compared to the times when the herder would stay with the herd, this is now reduced to contact twice a year, and increasingly supported by technology, i.e. snowmobile, helicopter and GPS collar. Apart from being a viable livelihood that produces meat and fur products, and is an important tourism business, reindeer herding has become crucial for Sámi identity formation and political claim-making. In this sense, the Finnish (and Swedish resp. Norwegian) case gives a positive example of how transhumant livelihood can be revived and promoted