“My research can help provide a picture of the challenges we face and help find solutions, as reindeer husbandry is also classified as a national interest,” says Corinna Röver, assistant professor at Tema T, Technology and Social Change.
She has recently received SEK 5.8 million from Formas for a four-year project on cross-border reindeer husbandry during World War 2 (Den Gränsöverskridande Renskötseln under Andra Världskriget: Kontinuitet, Begränsningar och Långtidseffekter).
An unexplored area
She says that how WW2 affected reindeer husbandry in northern Sweden is largely unexplored. Perhaps this was because Sweden was neutral. The war was going on across the border, but the impression has been that it was calm here. But we tend to forget that reindeer herding is traditionally a cross-border activity. For example, there were many summer and spring grazing areas in occupied Norway.
What little is known suggests that the Sami people were substantially affected. The war meant that sparsely populated northern Norway was suddenly filled with soldiers, forced labourers and the sound of war. This disturbed the reindeer herds who suddenly avoided areas they normally grazed in. The German armed forces wanted to make it possible for reindeer herding to continue across borders and gave the Sami people special border crossing passes, but many were hesitant to use them because of the perceived dangers.
“Some remained in Sweden and then the animals were crowded there, the consequences of which there’s not much research about,” says Corinna Röver.
Some Sami people chose to move with their families and reindeer to other areas where they were not automatically welcome. Even before the war, some reindeer herders had been forced to move south, so the situation was already strained. Conflicts arose and the herds had to be reduced. Some were forced to give up reindeer husbandry altogether. In this way, the war also affected future generations.
Parallells to the present
By digging into the archives, Corinna Röver wants to find out more about what happened, and whether any adjustments made at the time still apply. But she also wants to cooperate with the National Association of the Sami People in Sweden and the Sami Parliament, and hopes to interview reindeer herders about how they view the current situation. Reindeer husbandry has long lived under the pressure of mining, wind power, hydroelectric power and forestry. Now, more military exercises may also be added to this.
“I think it might be good for the individual Sami communities to get to know more about their history. But also that they should be able to use this knowledge to argue their case and assert their interests. It’s important to get a picture of how military activity in reindeer herding areas has affected and may affect reindeer husbandry in the future.”
A heavy legacy
Corinna Röver is originally from Germany but has lived in Sweden for ten years. Her grandfather served as a soldier in northern Finland and northern Norway during the war, so you could say that she has a personal connection to the area. Her doctoral thesis was about reindeer herding during the 1900s and most recently she has dug into German military archives and examined letters from soldiers to find out more about how they were doing in the north.
“Everyone in my generation has grandparents who were involved in the war. That’s also a heavy legacy that’s exciting to deal with,” says Corinna Röver.
Translation: Annelie Mosell
