Sami Culture & Angeli Reindeer Farm Visit (Sumi Family)

When we arrived at Angeli Reindeer Farm on Lake Konesjarvi, Anne was there to welcome us with her dog "Old Man." He was so cute! Anne handed each of us a basket of beard moss. We then walked out to a fenced area where there were two baby reindeer and 2 older ones. The older ones came up to us and started eating out of our baskets. We threw moss to the babies who would then eat the moss off of the ground. They are still a little skittish around strangers. I was very surprised to feel how incredibly soft the reindeer are!! Their hair is not course at all. The reindeer's hair has multiple holes in each individual strand. If you put heat glasses on, you can only see the reindeer's eyes and mouth! When they lie in the snow, the snow does not melt like it does when other animals lie down. Their antlers are the fastest growing bone in the world! They grow 2 cm per day!! Blood runs through the antlers and they get extremely hot until they finally turn into bone. They will drop their antlers every year and grow larger ones the following year.

       

     

  

The Sami's have lived in the region for the last 10,000 years, and have been reindeer herders for the last 1,000 years. They used to trade with the Vikings! There are currently 6 families that are responsible for over 5,000 reindeer in the area. Anne and her husband are on call 24 hours a day, and will go out to accidents involving reindeer, to see if they can track the reindeer down and save them, or if they need to, put it down. The government will reimburse the herders for loss of reindeer if they are hit by a car.  If the reindeer are attacked by an animal and die, the owners have to send pictures to the government to prove what type of animal killed the reindeer. The Sami are not allowed to shoot wolves, and will go to jail if they do so. So how do they know which reindeer belongs to which family? Each person has their own ear markings. (like a brand on a cow)  When the reindeer are born, the owner of the reindeer cuts the ear of the reindeer with their own symbol. (see picture below)

These are Anne's family's markings for their reindeer. 

In the 1950's the Sami's were forced into white assimilation. They were forced to go to white schools and learn the Finnish language. Their language and way of life was almost lost. In 1997, a Sami kindergarten was built in Inari and children were able to learn their language again. Anne was able to go to the Sami Culture Center and learn her native language. She did this before she had children because she knew that it was important for her children to be able to speak their language. (hear her read an excerpt from a children's book below)

Currently, only 300 people can speak the Inari Sami language and it is still taught in their school. There are 11 different Sami languages spoken today. Anne also works with other members to translate books that are in Finnish, into the Inari Sami language. Their library has very few books that are in their native tongue. The majority are still in Finnish. Anne and her team translate each book and paste the translated pages into Finnish books. They give them to schools so that other Sami children can read in their native

language. 

Preserving their language is not the only challenge the Inari Sami have. Currently their tribe has their own Parliament, but recently the Finnish government approved 120 Finnish government officials to sit on the Sami Parliament to "help" make decisions. Right now the Sami are currently fighting trains, mines, and deforestation in their area. It is so cold here that it takes a long time for trees to grow back. So when you have mass amounts of trees cut, the reindeer have less to eat. When the Finnish people came to make maps of the Sami land, they made up names for the land that the Sami had already named. To make matters worse, the names do make any sense even in the Finnish language! Their maps are still labeled incorrectly today and the Sami are working to correct thems. Climate change is also another challenge. Last January it was 4 degrees Celsius when it should have been -40 degrees Celsius. These temperatures cause slushy, icy conditions. The thicker the ice gets, the more difficult it is for the reindeer to break through the ice and find food. It is up to the Sami people to make sure that the reindeer's diet is nutritious so they do not starve or get sick. 

This is a map of the Sami land. All of the red is the forest that has been cut down. 

Anne's family lives off the land. They grow vegetables year round and (are you ready for this) use the lake water to keep their home warm. Yes, I typed that correctly. The lake is very deep and is actually warmer than what it is outside their home! There are pipes that run from the bottom of the lake into their home below their floor. The floor is kept warmer by this process. They also have a wood stove and wood burning sauna that helps to keep their home warm. The lake water is so clean that the family's water supply is piped in directly from the lake and can be drank without being treated. They make their living by selling reindeer meat to the local markets, and Anne makes the most beautiful bags and jewelry! (see pictures below) She tans all of the reindeer hide herself without any chemicals. She says she takes the hide and places it between the snow until spring. In the spring she pulls it out and shakes off the excess fur. The hide is then boiled in willow bark water for multiple days. She then drys the hide and softens it and is able to make items with it. (see pictures below) Anne uses roots from Pine trees to make water bottles. She uses Rosemary to keep mosquitoes away! Migraine sufferers, try Angelica in some tea. During the years of disease in Europe, the monks were given Angelica to help people who were very ill. Anne also made ice pictures that are hanging from her trees! They are BEAUTIFUL! (see picture below) You can tell that Anne loves nature and is passionate about not only the reindeer but also about learning about the natural cures and uses that nature has to offer us. 

  

First: Purse made for her daughter. Second: Purse she made for herself. Third: Basket she made. Fourth: hide that she tanned herself!

   

The basket is made from birch. 

Anne made the hat from reindeer hide for one of her children.                             

Fish vertabre that she uses as decorations for her bags.  

                                                                             

Traditional Sami dress

Left: Sami shoes made form reindeer hide from their legs. They are waterproof and keep the feet very warm! The top of the shoes curve up so that they could be attached to skis. Middle: Angelica Last: Pine tree roots.

Anne was such a gracious host and I am so happy to have met her. I am so thankful to her for inviting us into her home and sharing her beautiful culture. We drank hot tea and visited for over an hour. I could have stayed much longer though! 

 

Anne and her family have a teepee on their property that they use for family get togethers around a fire, and for smoking reindeer meat. It is very cozy. 

First two pictures are of an old bird house that their kids turned into a nome house! The last picture are pictures of their family throughout the years. 

This is the lake right outside of their home. It is a magical place. 

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