Eight seasons on the plateau
Reindeer herding is more than a livelihood — it is a way of life that has shaped Sámi language, food and culture for thousands of years. On the Finnmark plateau the reindeer is never far away, and herding follows a rhythm set by nature, not by the clock. To understand reindeer herding is to understand something fundamental about Sápmi.
Eight seasons
The Sámi calendar has eight seasons, not four. Each transition is tied to the life of the reindeer: calving in spring, the rut in autumn, migration between winter and summer pastures. In winter the reindeer graze on lichen up on the plateau; in summer the herds move towards the coast and the mountains where it is cooler and there are fewer insects.
The migration is the heart of it all. It demands knowledge of weather, snow and terrain passed down through generations — and a rich vocabulary for snow, reindeer and landscape that is hard to translate.
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8 seasons
The Sámi calendar follows the reindeer year
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Winter on the plateau
Lichen pasture inland
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Summer towards the coast
Cooler pasture, fewer insects
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Siida
The working community of reindeer herding
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Ear mark
Each family has its own mark
Siida and marking
Reindeer herding is organised in siidas — working communities of families who herd together. Each owner has their own ear mark, a pattern of cuts in the reindeer’s ear that shows which family the animal belongs to. The calves are marked in summer, often in the bright nights, in work that gathers the whole siida.
Today tradition and modern tools are combined: snowmobile, ATV and GPS are used alongside knowledge that is thousands of years old.
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Respect the herding
If you meet reindeer or a herder on the plateau: slow down, do not chase the animals, and keep your distance. Reindeer herding is someone’s livelihood, not an attraction. Experience it ideally through a local host who invites you in.
How you can experience it
Several Sámi operators in Kautokeino and Karasjok offer visits where you get close to the reindeer — feeding, a reindeer-sled ride in winter, and stories by the fire in the lavvu. It is the best way to understand reindeer herding: through those who live it.
In winter you can also see reindeer racing during the Easter festivals — a fast-paced and popular side of reindeer culture.
Tips
- 🤝Choose experiences run by Sámi operators — then the value goes back to the culture.
- 📸Ask before photographing people and marking.
- 🧥Dress very warmly — you often stand still out in the cold.
- 🦌Do not feed or touch reindeer unless your host says it is okay.
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