Do you have questions for a project that requires contact with Sami communities? Now is not the time to do so. Now and in the coming weeks, the important reindeer separation and preparations for winter grazing are underway, requiring full focus from reindeer herders.
Eight seasons govern the reindeer herding year. November marks the beginning of pre-winter, also known as autumn winter. The mating season for reindeer, known as the rut, is now over and a period of hard work begins for the Sami communities.
During the pre-winter period until the end of the year, the work of gathering and dividing the reindeer herd for the winter takes place. This is also when calves are tagged with their owners' reindeer tags and reindeer are moved from the mountain areas down to the winter pastures - a move that can be done both on foot and by truck.
Respect for an intensive work period
For the Sami communities, the pre-winter period is one of the most demanding times of the year. If you are in a project phase where you plan to contact a sameby, it may be more difficult to get answers to questions at this time. Wait a few weeks if you can.
Pre-winter reindeer herding is a fascinating and important phase of the annual cycle for the Sami communities, and understanding their work can help us respect both culture and tradition.
The eight seasons
- Spring winter (Mar-May) from guard on winter pasture to spring release
- Spring (Apr-May) from spring release to calving
- Early summer (May-June) from calving to first calf tagging
- Summer (Jun-Jul) from first to last calf tagging
- Late summer (Jul-Sep) from the end of calf tagging to the start of sow slaughter
- Autumn (Sep-Nov) from start of grain harvest to fall separation
- Pre-winter (Oct-Jan) from the end of the rut to the start of the ground lichen grazing
- Winter (Nov-April) from the beginning of the land grazing until the guard before the spring migration
Source: Samtinget.se
