The Char and the Oystercatcher. The Value of the Wild in Rossfjord, North Norway

This ethnographic study explores and compares the relationships that locals in Rossfjord, North Norway, have to the oystercatcher and the sea-going Arctic char respectively. Both these animals are highly valued locally, while the valuations at first look very different. The oystercatcher is protecte...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethnos
Main Author: Olsen, Bror R
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis 2021
Subjects:
VDP::Humanities: 000::The study of folklore
Ethnology: 100::Ethnology: 102
VDP::Humaniora: 000::Folkloristikk
etnologi: 100::Etnologi: 102
Arctic
Norway
Rossfjord
North Norway
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10037/21962
https://doi.org/10.1080/00141844.2021.1924815
Description
Summary:This ethnographic study explores and compares the relationships that locals in Rossfjord, North Norway, have to the oystercatcher and the sea-going Arctic char respectively. Both these animals are highly valued locally, while the valuations at first look very different. The oystercatcher is protected by building bin-cases for its nesting, while the Arctic char is killed and eaten. Discussing these valuations against the value theory of David Graeber, I argue that they both connect to an underlying perception of the freedom and autonomy of wild animals, where what is not fully understood enhances an experience of wonder and appreciation of what I call the wild .

Similar Items