- Title: SWEDEN: FEATURE - SAAMI PEOPLE (LAPLANDERS)
- Date: 8th November 1994
- Summary: REUTERS TELEVISION - NOONAN WINTER SUN/ LANDSCAPE/ MOUNTAIN/ REINDEER HERDER ON CELLULAR PHONE/ HERDER ON PHONE ON FROZEN LAKE/ SNOWMOBILE/ SUN AND LANDSCAPE/ VARIOUS OF REINDEER HERDERS IN MOUNTAINS ON SNOWMOBILE HERDING REINDEER/ HERDS OF REINDEER/ SAAMI NATIVE, REINDEER HERDER PETER BLYNND SAYING THE ONE THING IS ECONOMICAL, YOU DO IT FOR A LIVING, THE SECOND IS YOU HAVE A STRONG IDENTITY WITH THE SAAMI LIVING, THE SECOND IS YOU HAVE A STRONG IDENTITY WITH THE SAAMI CULTURE AND THE SAAMI PEOPLE AND THE LANGUAGE IS ABOUT REINDEER HERDING AND YOU FEEL STRONG IN YOUR IDENTITY AS A SAAMI AND THEN YOU HAVE A VERY FREE LIFE (ENGLISH)/ HERDER ON SNOWMOBILE ON ICE LAKE/ DOG/ DOG ON SNOWMOBILE/ BLYNND SAYING IF THERE ARE 20 TO 25,000 SAAMI IN SWEDEN THEN THERE ARE 3,000 TO 3,500 HERDERS WHO LIVE ONLY ON REINDEER, SO FOR THEM IT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY TAKE THEIR INCOME FROM IT. THEN YOU HAVE THEIR FAMILIES AND WIVES AND CHILDREN AND ALL WHO ALSO LIVE FROM IT. 30 TO 40 PER CENT OF THE SAAMI COMMUNITY IN SWEDEN LIVE FROM REINDEER (ENGLISH)/ VARIOUS OF REINDEER HERDING/ KIRUNA, SWEDEN/ ICE ON FENCE/ KIRUNA/ PERSON ON SLED/ SAAMI PARLIAMENT MEMBER KARINA SARRA, DAY CARE CENTRE SUPERVISOR SAYING SHE PREFERS THE SAAMI CULTURE TO THE SWEDISH CULTURE. SHE SAYS SHE UNDERSTANDS SAAMI PEOPLE AND WANTS TO WORK WITH THEM. SHE SAYS SHE TRIED TO WORK IN THE SWEDISH COMMUNITY AND DIDN'T LIKE IT (ENGLISH)/ VARIOUS INTERIORS OF DAY CARE CENTRE/ CHILDREN PLAYING/ SUPERVISOR WATCHING/ SARRA SAYING SHE DID NOT THINK THE UNION COULD DO THINGS BETTER FOR THE SAAMI PEOPLE. IT IS SO FAR AWAY AND THEY DO NOT THINK THEY THE UNION CAN UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS BETTER THAN THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT (ENGLISH)/ DAY CARE GROUP SINGING TRADITIONAL SAAMI SONG/ SARRA SAYING THE SWEDISH CULTURE IS TAKING A BIG PART OF THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES - TELEVISION, MOVIES, NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND MUSIC, SO THEY NEED THE ADULTS TO SHOW THEM AND TEACH THEM THE SAAMI CULTURE (ENGLISH)/ SUNSET AND MOUNTAIN CABIN/ HOUSE IN WOODS/ SNOW TRACTOR DRIVER LARS SUONNI SAYING THE SAAMI PEOPLE HAVE LIVED IN THE WILDERNESS ALL THEIR LIVES AND HE THINKS THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE LAND MORE THAN THE SWEDISH PEOPLE (ENGLISH)/ VARIOUS OF MAN DRIVING SNOW TRACTOR ON SKI SLOPE/ CHILDREN PLAYING IN SCHOOLYARD ON SLEDS/ BOYS PLAYING HOCKEY/ INTERIORS OF CLASSROOM - SAAMI LANGUAGE CLASS/ VARIOUS OF TEACHER AND PUPILS READING SAAMI BOOKS/ FOLKLORE BOOK ON TEACHER'S DESK/ VARIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS SAYING THEY WANT TO BE REINDEER HERDERS AND TRADITIONAL CRAFTSPEOPLE (ENGLISH)/ INTERIORS OF HANDICRAFT WORKSHOP/ VARIOUS OF WOMAN HAND-BRAIDING RUG/ WOMAN MAKING HANDBAG OF REINDEER HIDE/ SAAMI HANDICRAFTER MARITA SODERHOLM SAYING IT IS A VERY BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR SAAMI WOMEN TO STAY IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD. THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO TO STOCKHOLM TOI FIND WORK AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO IN LAPLAND (ENGLISH)/ CHILD'S BOOTS MADE FROM REINDEER SKIN ON WORKSHOP TABLE/ WOMAN'S HANDS BRAIDING REINDEER SKIN/ WOMAN AT WORKBENCH/ SODERHOLM SAYING SHE IS NOT SURE THEY NEED THE EC VERY MUCH BECAUSE THEY GET SO MUCH ELSE FROM EUROPE. SHE SAYS SHE DOES NOT KNOW IT IF IS GOOD IN THE LONG RUN AND SHE IS A BIT SCARED THEY ARE SELLING THEIR SHIRTS (ENGLISH)/ FROZEN LAKE/ MEN ICE FISHING/ MAN CATCHES FISH/ FLAPPING FISH/ SECOND MAN FISHING/ MAN STRIKES FISH ON HEAD/ SOLITARY MAN FISHING IN MIDDLE OF LAKE/ HERDER/ REINDEER/ REINDEER HERDER INGMAR BLYNND SAYING HE IS GOING TO VOTE NO BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT IN BRUSSELS THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO THE SAAMI PEOPLE. IF THE SWEDISH DO NOT LISTEN THEIR THEY WILL NOT LISTEN IN BRUSSELS (ENGLISH)/ REINDEER RUN ACROSS SNOWFIELD/ MOUNTAIN GUIDE ANNA KARINA NAI SAYING SHE IS AFRAID THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE WILL COME TO LAPLAND AND THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH NO RESPECT FOR NATURE (ENGLISH)/ KIRUNA AT NIGHT/ NORTHERN LIGHTS IN SKY/ LIGHTS/ CITY/ LIGHTS/ BUILDINGS/ LIGHTS REUTERS TELEVISION
- Embargoed: 23rd November 1994 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIRUNA AND SURROUNDS, SWEDEN (APPROX 250 KILOMETRES NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE)
- City:
- Country: Sweden
- Topics: General,Lifestyle
- Reuters ID: LVA2SYIWU8RGD5KMR8RZCMRW58OS
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: As Sweden prepares to vote in the referendum on joining the European Union, the country's Laplanders are resisting the move to integrate into Europe.
North of Sweden's Arctic Circle the Laplanders, or Saami people as they prefer to be called, are living a life similar to that of their ancestors.
Cave drawings may have been replaced by digital cellular phones and snow shoes may have given way to snow mobiles but reindeer herding remains at the heart of the Saami community which continues to live close to nature. The community is sceptical of changing its ways to adapt to those of the European Union.
In the Arctic climate where the sun barely arcs over the horizon in winter months, vast expanses of mountainous terrain are open to herds of reindeer.
Herders use snowmobiles to round up their animals in early winter so they can graze and be fed in the low lands in the freezing mid winter months.
The work is arduous as bone-jarring rides and sub-freezing temperatures make a daily routine physically exhausting.
The life and mystique of the reindeer men is central to the Saami culture and even their language. More importantly, the reindeer business accounts for the economy of almost fourty per cent of the Swedish Saami economy.
Some Saami see membership in the European Union (EU) as an opportunity to expand their markets for the lean red meat, durable warm furs and handicrafts. Most Saami, however, are fearful that the meticulous rules and legislation produced in distant Brussels would ruin their homelands and culture.
The Saami have always lived with a great respect for their beautiful yet harsh surroundings, engaging in a econologically-sound relationship.
EU membership conjures up visions of a wild expansion of tourism and the mining industry - unchecked development is a paramount concern as well as the spectre of losing their indigenous language.
In some areas, Saami schools teach the language alongside English and Swedish.
Folklore, science, Saami music and mathematics are also taught in the native tongue.
In Saami day care centres, the youngsters are instilled with a sense of dignity and pride in their background and participate in handicraft lessons and singalongs.
By the time they are ready to leave school, many children are eager to work in a traditional profession like reindeer herding or handicraft making.
One woman's handicraft co-operative was established because it was found that many women were creating things alone at home and because work was hard to find outside the bigger cities in the south.
Now, traditional handicrafts have a solid place in the cutlure's staying power and its economy. Workers in the cottage industry also believe that membership in the EU may strip away the uniqueness of their lives.
Those who live off the land through ice fishing, hunting and herding are afraid of the infringement of their habitat. Their remote environment, though harsh, is relatively unspoiled and the Saami do not want to trust a bureaucracy thousands of kilometres away in Brussels with something they have worked to preseve throughout generations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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