Books & Articles
Here are a few interesting books and articles on the various indigenous Reindeer People around the world. If we missed your favorite book or article, please let us know.
- The Reindeer People by Piers Vitebsky
- The best current book on the subject of Reindeer People in Siberia. Professor Vitebsky spent years living with the Eveny people and has an excellent grasp of their lives, beliefs, and challenges. Definitely worth reading.
- The Raven's Gift by Jon Turk
- An engaging and well-written nonfiction book about an American adventurer who is healed by and forms bonds with the family of an elderly Koryak shaman. The Koryaks of Vyvenka have lost all their reindeer to economic disaster, bandit tax collectors, drunkenness, and wolf predation. One of the most interesting things that I read in this book was about the question of wolf predation – the Koryaks were repeatedly clear that what kept the wolves at bay before the era of guns was the shamans making deals with the spirits, and now that there were (almost) no shamans the reindeer were leaving. Also some interesting discussion about the Siberian tundra mysteriously emptying of wildlife for no apparent reason – no scientific studies have been done on it because there is no funding and no interest. Thought-provoking reading!
- The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta by Dr. Gerry Conaty and Lloyd Binder
- Written by a researcher and a direct descendant of both Sami reindeer herders and Native Americans, this book details the family history of the Sami who were imported into Canada along with their reindeer in order to teach herding to the locals. The project failed due to government mismanagement and Native American disinterest, but descendants are now trying to increase the reindeer herds and manage them properly this time. Fascinating history of two colliding aboriginal groups and how they managed together.
- Sami Potatoes: Living With Reindeer And Perestroika by Michael Robinson and Kareem-Aly Kassam
- More research than story, this book details the geography, ecosystem, and herding customs of the Sami people of the Russian Kola peninsula. Worth it for the photos alone, this book is a bit of a hard read, but is packed with information. The title refers to the basic importance of reindeer to the Sami people - they are like staple "potatoes" to them.
- Creation's Heartbeat: Following The Reindeer Spirit by Linda Schierse Leonard
- This book was written by a Jungian therapist, and inspired by a dream of a woman running with reindeer. Unlike many who theorize on the spirits, the author actually spent some years living with various reindeer herders in the circumpolar area, chasing her vision. The book recounts myths not just of reindeer but of many different kinds of deer, with speculation as to their meaning for modern people.
Free Articles
- Mongolia's reindeer herders defend their way of life
- General Information on the Rangifer Species
- Reindeer Can See The Invisible: UV Vision In The Species
Paper on the tricky issue of endangered wolves killing off endangered reindeer. - Reindeer Herders Vs. Wolves in Finland
- The Introduction, Increase, and Crash of Reindeer on St. Matthew's Island
- Ecology and Behaviour of Reindeer Populations in the USSR
- Reindeer Deaths in the UK
- Reindeer Diseases in Finland
- Caribou Population Drops by 60%
- Arctic Focus Article on Reindeer and Global Warming
- PhysOrg Article on the Global Reindeer Census
- Saami Reindeer Herding in Sweden, Norway, and Finland
- Canadian Mine Threatens Traditional Saami Reindeer Herders
- Sociopolitical Overview of the Saami People
- A Year of Reindeer Herding Among The Saami
- Reindeer Herders Vs. Animal Rights Activists
- Sami Reindeer Herders Today: Image Or Reality?
- Photoessay of the Saami People
- The Deer That Reigns: Sami Traditional Herding
- Journal of Indigenous Peoples Rights: Sami Self Determination
- The 2002-2005 Ofelas Project
- Reindeer People of Mongolia
- Article on Reindeer Peoples in Asia
- Friends of Tuva article on reindeer herding
- National Geographic Article on the Duhka Reindeer People
- Mongolia Establishes Support Program for Reindeer Herders
- The Dukha and the World Reindeer Herding Conference
- Voices of the Dukha
- NPR radio documentary on Piers Vitebsky and the Reindeer People
- Russia Article About Nenets Reindeer Breeders
- Genetics of the Evenki People
- A History of Evenki Reindeer Herding
- Traveling With Reindeer People In Yakutia
- Visiting Yakutia Reindeer People
- Reminiscences About the Reindeer People of China
- The Crisis Of Reindeer Herding In Siberia
- Reindeer Herding of the Soyot People
- Keynote Address: Reindeer in the USSR
- Reindeer Herders and Alcoholism in Siberia
Academic Articles From Pay Sites
- Reindeer Herding And Ecology In Finnish Lapland
- Rumen Microbial Ecology in Reindeer
Intraherd Spacing Behavior In Female Reindeer - Environmental Adjustment and Private Economic Strategies in Reindeer Pastoralism
- Growth in Domestic and Wild Reindeer in Norway
- Tuberculosis in Reindeer
- Reindeer Herding: Conservation Ideals Vs. Local Realities
- Pleistocene Reindeer and Global Warming
- Reindeer Management in Northernmost Europe
- Reindeer Herders and Alcoholism in Finland
Komi Reindeer Herders' Perception of the Environment - Radiation Doses from Fallout Among Saami Reindeer Herders