Piera Jarre Smuk
- Our livelihood and purpose revolve around nature
In recent years, we have witnessed a clear change in attitudes towards the Sami people and reindeer husbandry. What was once marked by negativity and prejudice has now shifted towards interest and curiosity about our culture, history, and way of life. It seems like there is a sort of awakening happening, and I can also sense it when I take DavĂĄs' guests on tours.
As reindeer herders, we both live off and for nature, and we are completely dependent on it. Nature can be generous and provide fantastic grazing conditions for the animals, but it can also be harsh and unforgiving, influencing everything we do. In that sense, it is impossible for us to engage in extensive long-term planning. We simply have to take things as they come. We are guided by the light, nature, and the reindeer's migration, not by the clock and the calendar.
Trust is a key word in the way we work within the siida*. We trust that others in the siida know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. It is a collaboration that is rooted in years and generations, flowing seamlessly without us needing to keep an eye on what others are doing. I believe that people outside our community could learn something from that.
It has always been clear to me that I would enter the reindeer herding industry. Since my mother and father come from reindeer herding families in different districts, the question was really only where, not if, I would work with the reindeer. I couldn't have a job where I had to be indoors. I need to be out in nature. That's also part of what motivates me to work with DavĂĄs: To pass on the knowledge about the mountains and the wilderness that I have acquired throughout a lifetime out here.
*A siida is a group of SĂĄmi people who collectively manage their reindeer herd.