By Jarmo Pyykkö

Reindeer herding is a central part of the culture of the indigenous people of northernmost Europe, the Sámi. Sámi people live in the northernmost parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and on the Kola Peninsula of Russia. In Finland, Finns also herd reindeer. However, in the Sámi area of the northernmost parts of Finnish Lapland, the majority of the reindeer herdsmen are Sámi.

Reindeer herding is done everywhere in northermost Finland, not just on the land owned by the individual herders. Reindeer herding is conducted jointly in herding co-operatives (paliskunta in Finnish). Each co-operative operates in a specified area. In the Sámi area, where 90% of the land is owned by the state, reindeer herding is greatly dependent on the way the state forestry enterprise, the Forest and Park Service, manages state forests.

The right to herd reindeer and to preserve the Sámi culture are protected by law in Finland. According to the law, land use management in the Sámi area must be conducted with respect to the Sámi culture, including traditional livelihoods such as reindeer herding. The Forest and Park Service is obliged to negotiate with the Sámi representatives as well as with reindeer herders on issues concerning land use planning. In addition to the legislation, the FPS has developed a system of participatory planning, in which the FPS emphasises the importance of allowing all locals and representatives of different livelihoods to participate in the planning of the use of state forests in Finland.

Arboreal lichen growing on spruce (Picea abies).
This lichen is crucial nutrition for the reindeer.

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