| Exhibition Archive |
| Exhibition Archive 2004 |
| Exhibition Archive 2005 |
| Exhibition Archive 2006 |
| Exhibition Archive 2008 |
| Exhibition Archive 2008 |
Exhibition Archive 2004
 |
1.11.2004SIIDDASTALLAN - Sámi Reindeer Herding 1.10.2004 - 30.1.2005The exhibition SIIDDASTALLAN - Sámi reindeer herding is produced by the Siida - Sámi Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre. The exhibition deals with Sámi reindeer herding and the relationship between reindeer herders and nature through the words of five Sámi reindeer herders. Interviews were made with two reindeer herders from the Sállevárri Reindeer-Herding Cooperative – Nils Juhan Sara and Oula Sara representing the elder generation of herders – and three from the Gálddoaivi Cooperative, Niila Laiti and Tuomo Länsman of the younger generation, and Kirsti Laiti who has already retired. The interviewees tell about the course of a year and the seasonal tasks in reindeer herding from their points of view. The interviews took place in the winter of 2000 – 2001. The photographs and exhibits tell more generally about Sámi reindeer herding. The past few decades and the major changes that they have brought about have been a significant period for reindeer herding. The introduction of snowmobiles influenced the livelihood and its working methods and changes are still taking place. Despite outside pressure from growing tourism, criticism of reindeer herding and other factors, and the small income for the herders from reindeer meat, many young reindeer-herder families are quite positive about the future of keeping reindeer. Although the cash economy has replaced the old natural economy, reindeer and the natural environment are still the basis of this livelihood and its related culture. The exhibition consists of excerpts from interviews, photographs and DVD recordings presenting, among other themes, the stages of separating reindeer, the additional feeding of reindeer in winter and the first steps of a reindeer calf. The exhibition is arranged according to the annual cycle of the reindeer herders, presenting both traditional herding and its present-day equivalent. IN THE PAST YOU STARTED BY FINDING YOUR DRAUGHT REINDEER “It was different in the past. There were no fences between the herding districts. You had to take the wind into consideration. In the autumn, you had to foot it when rounding up the reindeer. You had to go all the way to the most remote corners of the district; you had to tend them there to keep them from roaming into the other districts.” Nils Juhan Sara, Sállevárri THE SPECIAL DAYS OF EARLY WINTER “In the past, people used to believe in the significance of the special days. They used to write down what the weather was like on those days, so that they would know what the winter would be like and how it had been the year before. They knew this by the weather of the special days…” Kirsti Laiti, Gálddoaivi THE GOOD AND BAD COMING OF WINTER ”It’s best for the ground and lakes and rivers to freeze first. And when the snow then comes it should remain dry frozen snow with no water raining on it. If you get water raining on the snow, the snow will freeze and the water will also make the ground freeze. And it’s hard for the reindeer to dig up lichen. You get what is called an ice ground.” Nils Juhan Sara, Sállevárri ROUNDING UP THE HERD IN EARLY WINTER “It is nature that determines our work schedule. If it is a good mushroom year and the ground stays bare for long, it is hard to round up the reindeer, as they will not go to the highlands but stay down in the valleys feeding on mushrooms.” Tuomo Länsman, Gálddoaivi ROUND-UPS TODAY “Reindeer herding is today mostly about selling reindeer. It was different earlier: being a reindeer herder meant that you had a whole big herd. Now people only understand about the selling and the meat.” Nils Juhan Sara, Sállevárri PONDERING “Today, people are not so very enthusiastic about outdoor life. No one would herd reindeer any more by skiing. You'd have to be quite a skier to keep the herd together. And of course we should not expect that of anyone: why should reindeer herders go on living in the ‘50s, when things advance in all the other spheres of life ?” Niila Laiti, Gálddoaivi WHY REINDEER HERDING ? “In a way I've grown up to work with the reindeer. It is not easy to quit, and neither do I want to quit. I suppose the situation would need to be quite bad before I, too, would quit. This work has become part of me, although I don't make that much money out of it every year. This year the situation is not too good. The number of calves is low, and I might not make any money out of this...” Tuomo Länsman, Gálddoaivi ON PREDATORS “You need to drive to the herd every day – at least to check whether any reindeer have been killed by predators. The wolverine is the worst predator, but the eagle takes a lot more reindeer than we realize...” Oula Sara, Sállevárri Manuscript and interviews of the exhibition has been made by Inker-Anni Sara and Jouni S. Laiti. For further information, please contact curator Liisa Erä-Esko at the National Museum, phone (09) 40501/ exchange or curator Arja Hartikainen, Sámi Museum SIIDA, phone (016) 665 225, 040 579 3313. Press Photos The National Museum of Finland, Mannerheimintie 34, Helsinki. The museum is open to the public Tue-Wed 11-20, Thu-Sun 11-18. Mondays closed. Entrance € 5,50 / € 4,00. Free entrance for children and young people under 18. Bookings for guided tours, Tue-Fri 9-12, phone (09) 4050 9552. Ticket office phone (09) 4050 9544. |
 |
Islamic coins in the National Museum of Finland |
