The Reindeer Herders (adapted)
Can you imagine living in a place where the sun doesn’t go down in the summer and where in winter it stays dark and the sun doesn’t come up at all? This is where the Sami people live – mostly in the far North of Norway, but also in Sweden, Finland and Russia. They have never had an official country of their own, but they call their land Sápmi.
Of course, these days most Sami live modern lives – but there are still some who follow their traditional way of life. They live in the tundra (treeless plain) or taiga (forests). Each family has a permanent home - a frame building or a hut, but they also spend much of the year travelling and living in tents called lavvu. The tents are circular, with a floor made of birch twigs and carpeted with reindeer fur. The huts and tents surround a central fire.
The Sami are reindeer herders. The reindeer supply transport, milk and meat. Each reindeer is marked on the ear with a family symbol, so they can be told apart from the others. The Sami migrate for the winter inland, where the reindeer live on lichen hidden under the snow. In spring they travel towards the coast, where the reindeer will find plenty of rich grass and salt. This is when the baby reindeer are born. Once the calves are strong enough, they will move off to the summer pasture grounds to fatten up the herd to get through the next harsh winter.
The Sami also hunt, trap and fish for food. They gather wild berries, for example the cloudberry, which is an amber-coloured fruit similar to a raspberry. They have one hot meal a day, which is supper.
The men spend their time herding, hunting and making boats, sleds and tools. The women herd, cook, make clothes and cure meat. Parents teach these skills to their children from an early age. In the Sami culture a great deal of love and attention is paid to children.
The Sami wear bright, colourful clothes. Blue wool or felt is decorated with red or yellow bands. Women will often wear scarves. Everyone wears heavy coats made of reindeer skin. Shoes are also made from reindeer skin, tied with ribbon. Shoes will be stuffed with soft grass instead of socks, to keep out the cold and damp in winter.
The Sami language has up to 1,000 words to describe reindeer. They have more than 180 words to describe snow and ice. It is very important, for example, to know if the ice is safe to walk on for both the people and the reindeer herd.
The Sami enjoy singing and telling stories through songs. The songs are called joiks, and they sound like a type of chanting. A joik is often composed for a person when he or she is born. The Sami also enjoy sled races and games, such as seeing who can throw their reindeer lasso the farthest. They use hand-made reed pipes to play music. They also make crafts from bone, wood and silver, and are famous for their ribbon weaving.
