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Snow cover and the loss of traditional indigenous knowledge

Nature Climate Change volume 8, pages 928–931 (2018)Cite this article

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Indigenous reindeer herding in the circumpolar North is threatened by multiple drivers of environmental and social changes that affect the sustainability of traditional family-based nomadic use of pastures. These impacts are exacerbated by indigenous peoples’ lack of voice in governance strategies, management and adaptation responses.

Historically, snow has covered reindeer herding areas in Eurasia for 180–250 days each year. As such, snow is important for the existence and livelihoods of reindeer herding communities; it is critical for maintaining a supply of food, for tracking and for travel1,2. Knowledge about snow and snow conditions developed because of the need to survive under extremely challenging climatic conditions3 in this unique social-ecological system in which snow is a main coupling mechanism.

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Fig. 1: Changes in spring temperature and snow cover.
Fig. 2: Periods of goavvi.

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Acknowledgements

This study is part of the project ‘Rapid change — challenges or opportunities for sustainable reindeer husbandry’ (Rievdan), supported by the Research Council of Norway (grant no. 238326) and EU H2020 Interact (grant no. 730938). We express our appreciation of the reindeer herders and research participants who shared their time, experiences and perspectives with us.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Guovdageaidnu, Norway

    Inger Marie Gaup Eira & Svein Disch Mathiesen

  2. University of the Arctic Circumpolar Institute for Reindeer Husbandry at The International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry, Guovdageaidnu, Norway

    Anders Oskal & Svein Disch Mathiesen

  3. Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway

    Inger Hanssen-Bauer

  4. UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Svein Disch Mathiesen

  5. North Eastern Federal University, UNESCO International Department on Adaptation of Society and Man in the Arctic Regions in the Context of Climate Change and Globalization, Yakutsk, Russia

    Svein Disch Mathiesen

Authors
  1. Inger Marie Gaup Eira
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  2. Anders Oskal
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  3. Inger Hanssen-Bauer
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  4. Svein Disch Mathiesen
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Correspondence to Inger Marie Gaup Eira.

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Eira, I.M.G., Oskal, A., Hanssen-Bauer, I. et al. Snow cover and the loss of traditional indigenous knowledge. Nature Clim Change 8, 928–931 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0319-2

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