Reindeer Herders’ Food Knowledge Systems

Abstract

Reindeer husbandry is part of an Arctic civilization strongly tied to nature and dependent on it in multiple aspects, including the diets of its peoples. Food production in nomadic Sámi reindeer herding has, through generations, been nested within the seasonal use of pastures, securing biodiversity, and traditional knowledge of food preservation techniques. The traditional knowledge, culture, and language of reindeer herders provide a central foundation for building sustainable food systems and social-ecological resilience in the Arctic. Food knowledge systems of Arctic Indigenous peoples should be viewed as indicators of social-ecological resilience. There is a need to rethink the food systems’ strategies in the governance of Indigenous reindeer herders’ societies, their economy, and external relations. Arctic Indigenous food knowledge systems are damaged due to climate change, loss of biodiversity, loss of grazing land, and failure in economic reforms since traditional knowledge about food was not included in sustainable development planning and public management.