GOATS IN THE SAMI CULTURE

By Jungle Svonni

Goats where adopted into the Sámi reindeer herding culture where they played an important role for at least 150 years. Exactly when the goats in the Sami culture entered is unclear. But it was at least from the beginning of the 1800s. The reason was that a reindeer cow gives about 1 dl milk per day, but a goat about 1 liter. And you could start to milk the goats earlier in the spring.

A family usually had 2 to 5 goats in the Sami culture. My grandparents had four.

The system was usually like this: You picked up the goats in the spring, from a farmer living where the forest meets the mountains. Then the goats followed the family pretty much like dogs. On the journey up in the mountains and over the supposed border between Sweden and Norway to the summer gracing land of the reindeers. Then in the fall you migrated back towards the pine forests in Sweden. So when again passing the farmer «between» the mountains and the forest, around the time of year when the snow starts to become deeper, you left the goats in the farmers stable. You payed a «hotel fee» for the winter. Usually the payment consisted of reindeer meat, but could for example also be a tame reindeer ox for sled pulling. Since sled pulling reindeers where also used by non Sámi farmers back in those days.

Then you continued the migration down to the pine forest with the reindeers.

In this photo, I am wearing my traditional goat skin-pants:

Then came the 1960s, a decade of many changes. More legal restrictions, new inventions and a much stronger influence from the colonizing societies. With new roads, and with the totally game changing arrival of the first snowmobiles. Now it was easier to buy powdered milk and other milk products from stores, so that was basically the end of the goat keeping tradition among reindeer herders. And the end of the tradition of milking reindeers as well. 

Another related fun fact is that many Sámis are lactose intolerant, like myself.

But goat milk has a lower lactose content than cow milk. And can be used by people with milder lactose intolerance. And reindeer milk has an even lower lactose content. During my stay with the Dukha people in Mongolia I drank reindeer milk every day. Without any problems.

Here you can see Elin wearing her white traditional goatskin hat:

If you liked the blog Goats in the Sami Culture, also read:

A SAMI FINDING BACK TO HIS ROOTS IN MONGOLIA

NATURE PEOPLE IN MODERN TIMES