From hunting to reindeer herding

After Ice-age• Finland was occupied by people who were roaming after forest reindeer

and moose approximately 9000-7000 bfc.• Southern Finland was first invaded by Forest reindeer Ragnifer tarandus

fennicus.• There are however previous signs of human from 120 000-130 000 bfc.• The main direction of immigration was for man and forest reindeer from

east at the beginning.• As the ice melt and the temperature raised the ground started to produce

moss, grass and other suitable plants for reindeer.• Reindeer Ragnifer tarandus had come south from Norway to Lapland

whereas moose, bear and forest reindeer came from southeast.• Birch came to Finland approximately 8500bfc and pine 6000bfc.• It took however 2000 years after the melting, that the conditions were

suitable for human been.

Early hunting traditions of reindeer.

• Hunting reindeer without firearms required teamwork. • At first hunting was mostly organized so that the deer

were killed by a spear or bow and an arrow.• The animals were forced to a natural border, where

escaping was hard or impossible. • Most commonly the hunt was arranged so that the

deer was forced to a cliff, ravine or equivalent natural border.

• At the these early days reindeer was only a part of nutrition and it was hunted mostly in fall.

• Spring and summer were time for fishing and winter for beaver, moose, and bear.

Early active hunting methods for deer.

• 1 Gathering the deer. • 2. Forcing the deer to natural border.

3.Killing/slaughtering

Fences and hunting habits.• To make driving easier SAMI people built fences

from wood. • This became possible when pine had come to the

area of Finland.• These fences can be catcorized as to main types.a. Vuomen: which is a triagular shaped fence and

ends up to a big hole.b. Hangas: which is built to a ridge or other natural

path. The fence runs across the ridge or equivalent and in the gaps of it there is deep hole or a giantic snare.

Vuomen

A triangular shaped fence system was used to force the deer to the deep pit at the end of the fence system.

Hangas 1. ”Border type”The deer were forced to face a hangas. At the gaps of the fence system there was a pit without speers or etc.

Hangas 2.

Hangas could be built to follow the forcing direction and the natural path.

The hangas of Sotkajärvi at Lemmenjoki.At Sotkajärvi the hangas was placed to the end of a cape. The catch was limited by the fact that when the pits were filled the deer were able to get by the fence.

Sotkajärvi hangas on a map.

The gradual change to herding• The co-operative hunt lead to reindeer herding at 1600.• The change was not dramatic. • At first some reindeer were taken to act as mules and as

stored food.• People started to realize that they could semi tame

reindeer and kill it when the meat was actually needed rather than constanly hunting.

• As a part of this change were fireams, which made hunting easier.

• The fact that fins had forced Sami people to always narrower space was partly the reason to change towards herding.

Early herding 1600-1852• At first herding was done following

the natural move of reindeer.• In the summertime the reindeer

came to shores of Arctic Ocean, to run away from mosquitoes.

• In the fall the reindeer returned to Finland where the wintering grounds were.

• This free roaming ended up at 1852 when Norway and Russia agreed of closing the border.

• This lead to a situation where Sami people had to move to new areas and to deer thievery that happens still.

Sallivaara as an example area.• As ”fins´” forced the SAMI people to move norher, the Sami people found new

setling areas all the way up to Ice Sea.• At first the SAMI people lived depending on hunting and fishing at the Sallivaara

region.• Remainants of this can be still seen at the ridges and at sandy areas near Repo and

Sallijoki. • The natural pahts of reindeer still roam alongside rivers, ridges and swamps.• On these paht areas lines of deep holes can still be seen.• Near the remaining holes there is a reindeer round-up area.• This round up area served from 1897 to 1964.• Now this area is rebuilt and serves as an museum.• By looking at the reindeer round-up area and the fence system it easy to

understand how hunting turned to herding.• The basic construction of fencing is similar to the hunting ”hangas” and

”vuomen”fences.• In stead of killing the reindeer, know the deer was separeted in the corral by the

ownership.

Sallijoenkuolpuna Hangas

Sallijärvi Hangas

At Sallijärvi the hangas was placed to a ridge by a lake and a river. As the first pits got filled up there were still more to come. This ridge is a natural path for the reideer even today.

Map of Sallivaara

Sallivaara reindeer round up corral as a map.

Sallivaara reindeer round up corral from air.

Sallivaara corral at 1950`s

And today after restoration.

Cabins of the round up area.