Paper short abstract:

Reindeer fences have been a revolutionary innovation in herding, more than that of snowmobiles. This presentation aims to explore changes and transitions in the use of fences in Sámi herding, and compare these historic developments with current developments in the Háldi Transboundary Area

Paper long abstract:

Reindeer fences have been the most significant innovation in reindeer herding, rather than the introduction of snowmobiles (Pelto 1973). With the building of fences around their pastures, Sámi reindeer herders adapted to the enforcement of national borders as well as Finnish administrative requirements (Reindeer herding co-operatives law) and in so doing, established a new reindeer herding management system. This transition facilitated the continuation of reindeer herding livelihood under a new management regime. This presentation aims to explore the economic changes and social transitions that the introduction of fences has brought to Finnish Sámi reindeer herding, and compare these historic, partly continuing developments with current developments, where the building of fences has so far been marginal, as in Norway. In the context of transboundary conservation parks, as with the Háldi Transboundary Area (FIN-N), the diverse herding management regimes and their use of fences inside the parks may play an important role in the parks’ aim to preserve wilderness and biodiversity.