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Research article2020Peer reviewedOpen access

Shifting Strategies between Generations in Sami Reindeer Husbandry: the Challenges of Maintaining Traditions while Adapting to a Changing Context

Axelsson-Linkowski, Weronika; Fjellstrom, Anna-Maria; Sandstrom, Camilla; Westin, Anna; Ostlund, Lars; Moen, Jon

Abstract

Many traditional pastoralist systems are greatly impacted by cumulative encroachments of other land users and by climate change. Understanding land degradation and the adaptive capacity of people who are dependent on the rangelands is an urgent priority for many areas in the world. In this research we explore how changing environmental conditions affect herding strategies on winter pastures and the role of indigenous and local traditional knowledge (ILK) in Sami reindeer husbandry. Our results indicate that traditional Sami reindeer herding strategies are still practiced, but that rapidly changing environmental circumstances are forcing herders into uncharted territories where these traditional strategies and the transmission of knowledge between generations may be of limited use. For example, rotational grazing is no longer possible as all pastures are being used, and changes in climate result in unpredictable weather patterns unknown to earlier generations.

Keywords

Strategies; Encroachments; Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK); Knowledge transmission; Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK); Climate change; Rangelands; Sami reindeer herding; Sweden

Published in

Human Ecology
2020, Volume: 48, number: 4, pages: 481-490
Publisher: SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS

      SLU Authors

        • Associated SLU-program

        Sámi and reindeer husbandry related research
        SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre

        Sustainable Development Goals

        Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
        Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Animal and Dairy Science
        Ecology

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00171-3

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/107729