Issue 2 (55)
| THE DYNAMICS OF REINDEER CULTURE ON THE KOLA PENNINSULA | |||
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| Year | 2017 | Number | 2 (55) |
| Pages | 16-24 | Type | scientific article |
| UDC | 397.4(470.2):636.01 | BBK | 63.5(2Рос-4Мур) |
| Authors | Istomin Kirill V. |
Topic | 21ST CENTURY NOMADS |
| Summary | In reindeer herding literature, the transition from the permanent control over reindeer herds towards so called extensive herding is often seen as a progressive “mismatch” between reindeer and men, a progressive loss of their adaptation to each other, which eventually leads to the reindeer’s returning to its “natural” behavior, that is “turning to the wild”. However, the empirical material from the Kola Peninsula shows that despite the extensive herding, with reindeer herds roaming free throughout summer and being only partly observed in winter, has been practiced here for already over 30 years, the reindeer still follow the migration routs and schedule from the times of intensive herding. The reindeer herders use this fact during their annual rounding up reindeer in autumn as well as during springtime pasturing. Therefore, despite the extensification of herding, reindeer retain behavioral models that emerged in the intensive herding epoch. This shows that reindeer and men are still adapted to each other and that reindeer behavioral transitions can be very sustainable and outlive the factors that originally caused their existence. Perhaps it is worth to speak about reindeer cultures that always accompany reindeer herders’ cultures. | ||
| Keywords | Reindeer herding, extensive herding, Kola Penninsula, behavioral traditions, reindeer culture, Sami, Komi | ||
| References |
Beach H. Reindeer-Herd Management in Transition: The Case of Tuorpon Saameby in Northern Sweden. Uppsala, 1981. |
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