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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2016

“They Followed the Power of the Plant”: Historical Sami Harvest and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Tek) of Angelica archangelica in Northern Fennoscandia

Rautio, Anna-Maria; Linkowski, Weronika Axelsson; Ostlund, Lars

Abstract

Native Sami people in northern Fennoscandia have used a wide range of native plant species for food and medicines throughout history. Plants and plant use are deeply embedded in the Sami traditions and subsistence in northern ecosystems. The overall aim of this study was to gain understanding of the Sami people's interaction with the herb Angelica archangelica in historical times and investigate if this use went beyond a pure opportunistic harvest of wild plants to include management of plants. To analyze this question, we combined studies of ethnographic information, an experimental field study, and discussions with a Sami woman with extended knowledge of Sami plant use. We suggest that the Sami people had a profound understanding of the complexity of the plant life-cycle. They dispersed seeds to favored areas and used harvest techniques intended not to deplete plant populations. The harvest experiment shows that it is possible to prolong the plant's life span by repeatedly harvesting infertile plants. A cross-disciplinary approach is needed to expand understanding of past plant use. Our results place overall Sami subsistence practices in a new light, as being cared for, managed, and sustainable.

Keywords

traditional ecological knowledge; experimental harvest; interview; northern Sweden; forest history

Published in

Journal of Ethnobiology
2016, Volume: 36, number: 3, pages: 617-636

      SLU Authors

      • Associated SLU-program

        SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre

        Sustainable Development Goals

        SDG2 Zero hunger
        SDG12 Responsible consumption and production

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
        History
        Ecology

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-36.3.617

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/77616