Finally, reindeer within reach of my camera. We have seen many reindeer, usually every day, but they are not always close enough to get a picture.
The original people of Norway, the Sami people, were reindeer herders following the animals during their migration. They lived off the land, were one with nature and used the reindeer for clothing and food. The reindeer spend summers at the coast and will swim to islands if necessary for food. We are at the coast so it makes sense for them to be plentiful in our area. The Samis used the reindeer for their own needs and also used the reindeer for bartering and to pay taxes. The culture and lifestyle of the Sami people however was leaning toward extinction. The herding skills were passed down to the next generation when the children travelled with the parents and learned the trade. The government, however, began to require the children be sent to boarding schools where they were educated in the Norwegian language.
In the late 1980's the Same culture made a comeback. The Norwegian gov't has protected the Sami right to herd reindeer and their culture has regained the respect it deserves. They have their own Sami Parliament, their language has equal standing to Norwegian, they have their own flag and their own National Anthem.
Arctic Terns everywhere. I am on a never ending quest to get a good photo of an arctic tern, which I have not been able to do yet. We came across a flock of terns when we passed the small island in the middle of Lake Linne.
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