TonSami, the last remaining indigenous people Europe, The famous snow has more than 100 different words.from Sea sand, A kind of loose and granular snow that is easy to move, Javi, Thin slices that stick together and are difficult to dig. The name is based on its texture, depth, density, and the harsh conditions of the Arctic winter.
But the Sami people of Sapmi, formerly Lapland people, are traditionally fishermen, hunters, and reindeer herders, and they don’t know anything about what they see more often on the ground.
“This new snow has no name,” said Ras-Anders Kuchmonen, a reindeer herder from Kiruna, a small town in the northernmost part of Sweden near the Norwegian border. “I don’t know what it is. This is like the early tjaevi, which usually arrives in March. Now the winter is relatively warm, it rains and the ground freezes. The snow on it is so bad that the reindeer cannot dig for food.”
According to a study, the Arctic is not warming twice as fast as the rest of the world previously thought, but four times faster. Papers published in “Science” this week.The Sapmi region spans parts of four countries—Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Russia—and is surrounded by three oceans, recording its The highest temperature in more than a century In July this year, it reached 33.6C (92.5F) during the summer heat wave.
Kuhmunen and other reindeer herders, they take care of the herds scattered on the vast tundra day and night, and they are on the front line of the climate crisis. They said that their reindeer is a semi-domestic species that has adapted to the harsh conditions in the polar regions and is being pushed to the limit by these changes. These animals use their shovel-like hooves to dig lichen, which is their main source of food in winter, as well as other plants that grow under the snow. But finding food is getting more and more difficult.
The above-average temperature means that the semi-permanent snow becomes rain throughout the winter, which in turn freezes on the ground, trapping the lichen under the ice, so animals cannot reach it. Thick snowfall also occurs more frequently, making it impossible for animals to find lichens through the smell, which adds to the problem.
These freeze-thaw and rain and snow events naturally occurred in Arctic, But they occur more frequently and on a larger scale.
Had Reindeer’s mass hungerIn Russia in 2013-14 and Norway in 2018-19, herders had to travel farther to find pastures in the past few years.
Kuhmunen, 43, the father of three children, said that changes in the weather and shrinking pastures have made his job more difficult. In the forest 6 miles (10 kilometers) north of Kiruna, he followed his herd of cattle. He said: “It is difficult to get the cattle together, so I have to work harder. They are scattered more because They can’t find food. There are only four or five hours of daylight now. When the polar night comes, the situation will get worse.”.
He added: “Due to logging and mining, reindeer are losing their habitat. My father’s generation used to ski to reindeer. We use snowmobiles because they are farther away. I’m worried every day.”
Reindeer grazing has been threatened by human expansion, and forestry and mining activities have increasingly shifted to traditional pastures.one Study in Norway It was discovered that in the last century, the undisturbed reindeer habitat has shrunk by 70%, including pastures flooded by hydroelectric power dams.
The climate challenges facing the Sami people – and their impact on their rights and livelihoods – have been studied and documented Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), one of the four charities of The Guardian and The Observer in 2021 Climate justice appeal, As part of an international effort to lobby politicians for climate action.
The portraits, films and stories of the Sami were used in exhibitions at the European Parliament, the National Theatre in London, and the International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators and sparking profound discussions on climate policy.
Aslat Simma, 42, a herder and a former chief of the Lenawamur tribe, said: “This is December. The temperature should always be zero. Normal winter temperatures are -20 to -25C. The temperature can now be zero or positive.”
He said that the increase in autumn rainfall will also fill the lichens with moisture, thereby reducing the nutrition of the deer.
“We coexist with nature, and everything we do depends on the weather and reindeer. But reindeer are exhausting all their energy trying to find pasture and dig. They live on the edge of how animals adapt. When the climate changes so fast, they Unable to adapt. They have adapted a lot.”
Henrik Blind, a herder family member from the town of Jokkmokk, said: “When you live so close to animals, you see the world through their eyes. You will see how difficult it is to live under these conditions. Everything is upside down. .
“Our livelihood depends on a planet that is not on fire. We are Arctic people and our culture is written in snow. But climate change means that there will be less and less snow.
“We must realize that we cannot over-consume our planet. This is urgent. We need to listen to the opinions of all the indigenous peoples in the world who know how to live in harmony with the planet.”
