News/North: What's important to know about reindeer?

Henrik Seva: Those are wise animals. Many say they are dumb, but I don't think so.

You try to know them -- every one, they are different. Even if they are reindeer, they are not all the same.

N/N: Is it hard to train a reindeer to pull sleds?

HS: It don't take that much, but it depends on the reindeer. Different reindeer take different time -- it's like humans. Somebody takes longer time to learn something, some are more stubborn than the others.

N/N: Do the stubborn ones get turned into meat?

HS: Yeah, and the old ones. But that's back home. Here it's only antler production.

N/N: Is reindeer meat much like caribou meat?

HS: It tastes about the same.

N/N: What do you like about reindeer?

HS: I love them. That's the thing why I'm a herder -- you must love the animals, otherwise it's no use.

N/N: Do you have a special way to communicate with the herd?

HS: My people have special songs, called joyk. They make them up, that's how I do.

When I'm alone, I use them and I make my own songs. The reindeer recognize your sounds and your smell and they know your ski-doo so they recognize the herders. It's important.

N/N: What are the songs about?

HS: How I feel, about the weather, whatever.

N/N: Can you tell me the words to some of your songs?

HS: There is a traditional joyk if you have a certain kind of reindeer, like white or spotted ones. And if you have a nice girl, you can make a song for her, too.

N/N: Do the reindeer like your songs?

HS: I hope so. They aren't complaining.

N/N: Tell me what it's like in your community.

HS: It's a small village, Kitkiojirvi, with about 80 people or even less, but we have a Sami area, which is a large area we use for reindeer herding. And that has about seven families that live on reindeer herding.

We have a road year round, and villages are close to each other -- maybe apart only 20 clicks.

N/N: So you would have grown up around reindeer?

HS: Yes, we had a lot of sled deers, we used to help drive with them. I had many special memories of my first own sled deer I got when I was about 10 years old I guess. Sometimes if you fell off the sled, you get left behind! They run fast.

It was the main form of transportation, but after 1965, then the ski-doo came, and after that you had less sled deer. Today it's only to pull the tourists.

N/N: Do you have your own herd back home?

HS: I have sold my herd last year. The income and the costs were so much apart. I could have made it alright, but it was hard work and I didn't get out anything.

N/N: How large was your herd before you sold it?

HS: That's a funny question. (laughing) It's like asking how much money you have in your bank account.

N/N: So a person really shouldn't ask.

HS: It's okay, you can ask, but you never get the right answer.

N/N: How long had you been herding when you sold the herd?

HS: Twenty-eight years.

N/N: It must have been heart-breaking to have to sell it.

HS: Yes. That was my life work. It has been a tradition in our family for I don't know how far back. It's like a broken chain.

N/N: Will you buy a herd again, do you think?

HS: I don't think. Me, I'm getting older. It's no use to go back and build up no more. What I have learned about reindeer I want to share my skills and know-how about reindeer so if people want to, they can learn.