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This region supports not only the traditional Saami peoples but also Finns who settled here long before the Saami, foreigners or 'Southern' Finns came to stay. It is very much a frontier community with quite a few different stakeholder groups in which tourism, Saami reindeer herders, Lappish reindeer herders and other enterprises manage to just about co-exist.
During your time here, you will have the chance to learn - if you are interested - more about the migration patterns of Saami through the different ages, the division of the region during the wars, the infrastructural role the Germans played alongside Finns in the 2nd World War and the challenges of living today in a fairly divided frontier community.
- Local school children join us on work-practice placements each year
- One or two local groups invited to the farm for free annually
- We use locally-owned accommodation and transport to spread the benefits of tourism
- Guides attend local cultural events and are offered language and handicraft classes
A topical local debate
One divisive subject is whether to ratify ILO Convention 169 on indigenous rights. Some believe Finland and Sweden should follow Norway in ratifying it. Others worry it would erode the rights of, for instance, Lappish reindeer herders, who live the same lifestyle as Saami reindeer herders yet already have far fewer rights. A central local question is: who is actually Saami? It remains a topical debate.
We encourage interested clients to learn about the area through evening chats, the local nature centre and local reindeer farms, so they leave with the best possible understanding of the region and its political challenges.
Working co-operatively with local people
We work co-operatively with local reindeer people (whether Saami or Lapp), demonstrating through our daily actions the benefits tourism brings to the region. We use locally-owned accommodation and transport providers wherever possible, to spread financial benefits among local people and operators. We also negotiate access for any trails we plan to use with the dogs, as we consider this 'best practice' even where it isn't a regulatory requirement.
We also foster open communication between the other tour companies in the area - particularly the foreign-owned ones - and the wider community. Greater awareness of other cultures and the mutual benefits involved leads to meaningful interactions, and local people can support their livelihoods through the financial benefits and direct employment that tourism brings.
Culturing understanding in the community
Each year, local school children join us on work-practice placements, as much to learn how to work with the dogs as to experience an international working culture and practise their English. We also choose one or two local groups annually - for instance school children of a certain age, or those who work in the supermarket, health centre or hotels - to visit the farm for free and join one of our products. In this way we are building an understanding of huskies in the area that was perhaps lacking before.
We also encourage understanding of and respect for local customs and beliefs within our team, and make a point of attending local cultural events with our guides - reindeer gatherings, craft shows, community events, the local dog walking club - contributing either our manpower or money. We provide language training to international staff and trainee mushers and make local evening classes available where possible.
