Posted by Philip Burgess on July 3rd, 2008
So said Toomas Ilves, the President of Estonia, as he marched his delegation out of last weeks Finno Ugric Congress in Khanty Mansisk. Ilves even called for the European Union to become engaged in protecting Finno Ugric languages. These remarks were designed to irritate Russia, no doubt, as more than 2 million Finno Ugrian people live in Russia (and many are reindeer herders) Nenets, Sami, Khanty, Mansy, and Komi. However, and this point was made in the Moscow Times in yesterdays editorial, many of Russia’s indigenous peoples are not benefiting from the recent rise in Russia’s wealth and this is all the more evident in areas that are rich in oil and gas such as Khanty Mansisk, Yamal Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Nenets Automous Okrug).
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Posted by Philip Burgess on April 28th, 2008
(Picture / story Russia Today 21042008)Reindeer breeding accounts for 90% of the agriculture in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District in northern Russia. The industry’s export markets include Germany, Italy, Greece and Latvia. But producers are facing logistics problems trying to expand.Reindeer have been the main source of income for the Nenets people for centuries. There are 600,000 head of the animals in the region.
But Russia has yet to develop the domestic market for reindeer meat. Today, all the produce is exported.
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Posted by Philip Burgess on January 14th, 2008
(Yle Sami) Bohcobierggu haddi lea gorŋon lagábui 15 proseanta manjimus jagi áigge sihke Ruoŧas, Suomas ja Norggas. Gávppin lea šaddan divrasut oastit bohccobierggu, muhto dál maiddai boazoeaiggádat fitnejit buoret kilohatti. (English summary below)
Mikkel Triumf eaiggáda njuovahaga MT slakt Kautokeino ja son jahkká ahte haddeloktaneapmi čatnasa čielgasit dasa ahte man ollu leat olbmot geat hálidit bohccobierggu. - Jos lea váttis fitnet bohccobierggu, nu olbmot leat garvásat máksit eambbo bierggus, lohká Mikkel Triumf.
Okta dain stuorimus biergogávpaseaddjiin Ruoŧa bealde lea Eliassons Gárasavvonis ja Alexander Eliasson maid sihkkarastá loktanan biergohatti.
- haddi lea goarŋumin, sulai 10-15 proseanta lea loktanan manjimus jagi áigge. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Philip Burgess on January 10th, 2008
Due to the unseasonably mild winter conditions, including several days of rain and snow free conditions across the northern reindeer herding districts of Finland (Utsjoki, Inari and Enontekio) round ups were delayed in many reindeer herding cooperatives according to Lapin Kansa (30.12.2007), the regional newspaper. In some cases, delays of up to a month were recorded.
The delays are tough for reindeer herders who need to realise their assets, necessary given that the average salary of a reindeer herder in Finland is 4.60 Euros / hour (6.75 USD, 165 RUB) with an average salary of 22 200 Euros (32500 USD, 795 000 RUB), well below the Finnish average. Approximately 128-137 Euros is earned per reindeer. (187-200 USD, 4590 - 4900 RUB). An astonishing 14 000 Euros (20 527 USD, 500 200 RUB) worth of reindeer are lost to predation per herder.
Currently there are 185 000 (down from 215 000 in 1993) reindeer in Finland herded over 1/3 of the country. Approximately 110 000 are slaughtered for meat production in the fall and winter.
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