Book

Herds of the tundra: a portrait of Saami reindeer pastoralism

Smithsonian Institution Press • Washington, D.C. • Published In 1994 • Pages:

By: Paine, Robert.

Abstract
In this book Paine portrays the life of the Saami reindeer pastoralists in northern Norway (particularly the Kautokeino area of Finnmark County) during the 1960s and again in the decade between 1979-1989, and analyzes the effects of recent Norwegian government legislation on the Saami's traditional nomadic lifestyle. Much of the text is devoted to detailed accounts of reindeer herding and husbandry at each season of the year, including an analyis of herd composition and herd economics. Since Paine'sfieldwork in the 1960s, the Saami have undergone many cultural changes in order to accommodate the social democratic principles of the Norwegian government. The last portion of this work presents Paine's critiques of these attempts by the government to rationalize and regulate Saami pastoralism.
Subjects
Fauna
Flora
Annual cycle
Pastoral activities
Land use
Public welfare
culture
Saami
HRAF PubDate
1996
Region
Europe
Sub Region
Scandinavia
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1994
Field Date
1951- (p. xii)
Coverage Date
1960-1989
Coverage Place
Kautokeino, Finnmark province, Norway
Notes
Robert Paine
Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-238) and index
LCCN
93038390
LCSH
Sami (European people)/Reindeer herding/Transhumance