Bulletin of the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples
Online ISSN : 2435-0451
Print ISSN : 0918-3159
Reindeer Husbandry in Finland, and Organizations Conducting Preservation and Succession of Sami Culture at Inari Town
Atsushi NAKADA
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RESEARCH REPORT / TECHNICAL REPORT FREE ACCESS

2008 Volume 17 Pages 047-058

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Abstract

In recent years most of the work in Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples has focused on Russian indigenous peoples. Therefore our information about indigenous peoples living in the northern part of America and Europe has become out of date. For the purpose of improving this situation, we have carried out preliminary research in Finland to collect the latest information about the Sami culture. In this article, I report results of the research, particularly about reindeer husbandry in Finland, organizations and facilities conducting preservation and succession of Sami culture at Inari town. The field research was conducted from June 1 to 14 2007, in Finland and part of Norway. We inspected the related organs, had interviews with the people concerned, and collected documents and brochures. Consequently, the following points are found: Reindeer herding in Finland has been institutionalized and herding units are organized nationwide. Financial support from the state and EU, and production-distribution system of reindeer meat has been established. In spite of some problems such as livelihood of herders depending on subsidies, friction between forestry or game hunting, loss of livestock by predation and traffic accidents, reindeer herding seems to be maintaining stably as a contemporary industry. Since traditional knowledge and techniques are needed in reindeer husbandry and herding even now, stable existence of the reindeer industry is important for the conservation of a part of Sami culture. Besides reindeer herding, many activities to preserve and develop Sami culture have been carried out in Finland. There are many organizations such as Sami Parliament, Sami museum, Sami Education Institution, Sami Handicraft Association and so on at Inari. They are related to each other in their formation and cooperation. This situation seems to indicate that Inari is a center of preservation and development activities for the Sami culture.

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