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Northern lights in the Sápmi region, Finland
Fire in the Finnish sky
Rather than pull Father Christmas' sleigh (although Finnish folk tales say he does live in these parts), reindeer in Finland's Sápmi region are herded by the indigenous Sámi people, who've long made their home here above the Arctic Circle and beneath the aurora borealis. Though development and climate change have led to plunging reindeer populations, about 10% of Sámi people still carry on the traditional, sustainable herding practices of their ancestors. They live semi-nomadic lives following the migrating reindeer from pasture to pasture, making efficient use of reindeer milk, meat and fur to beat hunger and cold in the bitter winter.
Fire in the Finnish sky
Rather than pull Father Christmas' sleigh (although Finnish folk tales say he does live in these parts), reindeer in Finland's Sápmi region are herded by the indigenous Sámi people, who've long made their home here above the Arctic Circle and beneath the aurora borealis. Though development and climate change have led to plunging reindeer populations, about 10% of Sámi people still carry on the traditional, sustainable herding practices of their ancestors. They live semi-nomadic lives following the migrating reindeer from pasture to pasture, making efficient use of reindeer milk, meat and fur to beat hunger and cold in the bitter winter.
The Sámi people native to this frigid Finnish region are unmatched in the art of reindeer herding.
© Milamai / Moment / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :