Sámi reindeer herding villages and herding areas in Sweden
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Membership in reindeer herding village, ‘Sameby’, is the basic of reindeer herding in Sweden.
Map Facts
Only Sámi people, who are members of a Sámi reindeer herding village (Sameby), have the right to pursue reindeer herding in Sweden. The reindeer herding area in Sweden is divided into 51 Sámi reindeer herding villages. In 33 mountain reindeer herding villages herding is characterised by long migratory routes between summer and winter pastures. In ten forest Sámi reindeer herding villages herding is more static and is conducted in forested areas. Eight of the herding villages in the Torne Valley are so called ‘concession’ Sámi reindeer herding villages. Concession villages engage in reindeer husbandry with special permission from the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen). Compared to other reindeer herding villages the concession villages are populated also by non Sámi people who often also own the land on which their reindeer graze. However, according to the reindeer husbandry Act, the actual task of reindeer herding in a concession village must also be conducted by a person who is Sámi.
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