Sámi Traditional Knowledge of Reindeer Meat Smoking

Reindeer meat, traditional food and knowledge are vital for the culture, health, and economy of Sámi reindeer herders. Nevertheless, the practices of reindeer meat smoking have barely been part of scientific research or reindeer herding management. We investigated Sámi reindeer herders’ approach to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food Ethics
Main Authors: Krarup Hansen, Kia, Sara, Ravdna Biret Marja Eira, Smuk, Inger Anita, Brattland, Camilla
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10037/25974
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41055-022-00106-2
Description
Summary:Reindeer meat, traditional food and knowledge are vital for the culture, health, and economy of Sámi reindeer herders. Nevertheless, the practices of reindeer meat smoking have barely been part of scientific research or reindeer herding management. We investigated Sámi reindeer herders’ approach to meat smoking in Northern Norway performed in the traditional Sámi tent, the lávvu. The investigation included workshops, interviews, participatory observations, and co-analyze meetings. Our findings reveal a typology of the traditional Sámi smoking practices. Sámi reindeer herders use a variety of wood species and plant parts to control the smoke based on a complex system of traditional knowledge. Yet there is a need for education, industry, and research acknowledging, supporting, and maintaining the Sámi meat-smoking process and associated worldviews, knowledge, and practices to ensure ethical, sustainable, and healthy food production.