Indigenous Tourism in Norway: Meet the Nomadic Sámi Reindeer Herders
Some people are surprised to find out that Norway has a small but significant Indigenous population: the Sámi people. Like the Inuits of Greenland and North America’s Arctic region, the Sámi have been able to carve out a life — complete with its own traditions, cuisine, art, languages, and beliefs — in some of the world’s coldest climates.
Despite challenges from both the harshness of nature and the hostility from settlers claiming Indigenous lands, the Sámi culture has survived. And as tourism has grown in the Arctic regions, Sámi cultural tourism has become an area of interest for many responsible travelers.
While visiting Northern Norway, the most popular way to experience Sámi culture is by visiting a reindeer ranch, where you can meet Sámi reindeer herders, learn about their history, try their cultural foods, hear their traditional song and language, and possibly go reindeer sledding if that activity is of interest to you (I have a guide to reindeer tours in Tromsø here).
Who are the Sámi People?
The Sámi people are the Indigenous people of the far reaches of Northern Europe. They can trace their history back at least 3,500 years in the Fennoscandia region, which includes Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The Sámi currently number about 80,000 people spread throughout the region, half of whom live in Norway.
In their native language, the region which the Sámi people have stewarded for thousands of years is called Sápmi. This mostly overlaps the region that, in English, is known as Lapland.
The history of how Scandinavian and Nordic settlers treated the Sámi people is quite sad, but unsurprising for those who the familiar story of interactions between Indigenous peole and settlers.
Sámi people suffered a similar fate to the Indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada: forcible removal from their land, mandatory boarding schools that stripped them of their language and religion, and discrimination both in law and in practice.
The fact that the Sámi people are still here today, practicing their culture, speaking their language, and wearing their traditional clothing is not something we should take for granted. It’s the result of their resilience and passion for preserving their identity and way of life.
Taking a Tromsø reindeer tour hosted by Sámi people is one way that we as tourists can preserve the Indigenous culture of these beautiful lands and spread the wealth that tourism brings to a historically underserved population.
Most importantly, it’s a way we can ensure that the past and present story of the Sámi people is not erased by mass tourism. In my opinion, taking a Sámi tour while visiting Norway (or other similar regions) is essential for responsible travelers.
The Importance of Reindeer in Sámi Culture
The relationship between the Sámi people and the reindeer they tend is an integral part of their way of life to this day, and it has been for thousands of years.
Sámi primarily herd reindeer as part of animal agriculture (since reindeer is a very popular and highly sustainable meat option in Norway). Part of Northern Norway is specifically reserved for traditional reindeer husbandry, where only ethnic Sámi are allowed to pasture their reindeer.
The Sámi people have herded reindeer for well over a thousand years. The exact start of when Sámi began to herd reindeer is uncertain, but the earliest recorded history of the Sami interacting with reindeer was in the 800s.
As per an article about reindeer herding: “In the 800s the Norwegian chief Ottar visited King Alfred and the English court and Ottar related to the king about the Sámi and that reindeer were domesticated and managed in herds.
This is the first written source of domesticated reindeer husbandry… However archaeological research is consistently pushing the date of domestication of reindeer and the development of reindeer herding further back in time.” (Source)
In recent years, reindeer tourism has become another important part of the economic cycle of reindeer herding, particularly during the winter months.
Challenges Facing Reindeer Herders
Climate change has affected the Arctic at a rate five times faster than other parts of the world. This has resulted in a decline of nearly half the wild reindeer population in just 20 years, according to the 2018 Arctic report card.
While reindeer can easily graze on grasses that are covered in snow, the issue arises when layers of ice form that reindeer cannot get through. This happens when the temperature quickly rises above freezing and then drops again, which unfortunately happened multiple times during my 2024 trip to Tromsø.
Unable to access the food the land once freely gave, nomadic Sámi reindeer herders have had to supplement their diet, which impacts their ability to travel nomadically and also adds a significant financial burden to their reindeer herding operations.
As a result, reindeer herding has become more difficult — and more expensive — which is where responsible tourism can enter the picture to help ensure the history of reindeer husbandry lives on.
How Responsible Tourism Can Help Sámi Reindeer Herders
Winter tourism that helps Sámi feed and shelter their reindeer has become an essential crutch as climate change threatens the traditions and cultural practices of Sámi reindeer husbandry.
With the increase in reindeer tourism, many Sámi people now bring their reindeer herds down from places further north — particularly Karasjok, the Sámi “capital” of Norway — down to Tromso so that tourists can do a day trip to visit the reindeer.
In my view, reindeer tourism doesn’t take away from the tradition of Sámi reindeer herding at all: it actually makes it more sustainable by creating supplementary income streams that support their traditional practices during the hardest time of the year.
After the winter season, these reindeer generally graze and roam nomadically, tended by Sámi, as they have for thousands of years.
It’s important to remember that Indigenous people don’t live in a vacuum only living out a ‘traditional’ life; they blend their rich cultural heritage with modern conveniences (nearly all reindeer herders rely on drones!) and deserve to take center stage in tourism when they desire to.
What About Reindeer Sledding?
Many Sámi reindeer farms offer reindeer sledding. As with all animal tourism, this is a bit of a flashpoint for different opinions on the ethics of it. I always do my research on before partaking in an animal activity. There are two questions I evaluate when determining if I think an animal activity is ethical.
The first question is: are these animals historically domesticated or is this actively going against their nature? The next question is: is the activity harmful for their wellbeing?
The answer to the first question is undoubtedly yes. Sámi people have domesticated and herded reindeer for at least 1,200 years —perhaps even as many as 7,000 years. That’s long enough to say that these reindeer have been thoroughly domesticated. They’ve likely been domesticated longer than horses have been, and nearly as long as dogs and cats.
The next question is, is reindeer sledding harmful? Reindeer are strong animals that weigh up to 400 pounds. Prior to tourists enjoying reindeer sledding as an activity, semi-nomadic Sámi herders would use reindeer sleds to transport materials across the Arctic landscapes — especially before the invention of the snowmobile.
Pulling sleds for tourist enjoyment is not really much different than what the reindeer did before the invention of the snowmobile. Before then, reindeer were tamed and taught to pull sleds transport the housing materials, food, and other goods for their Sámi herders, who lived nomadically and needed to set up rather heavy structures in different locations that would protect them from the elements.
To be honest, I hardly think the reindeer mind what they are pulling, so long as the weight of the load is proportional to their strength. The reindeer do not have to run far or fast (really, it’s a very slow ride). They pull the sleds for approximately 10-30 minutes at a time before resting and waiting for the next group.
After doing my research and participating in a reindeer sledding tour with a Sámi guide during my trip to Tromsø, I concluded that reindeer sledding is within my personal ethical guidelines. I know others who disagree because reindeer don’t seem to love pulling a sleigh the same way husky sled dogs do (but does anyone?).
For me, I’d say it’s similar to donkeys or mules pulling a cart (which is better for them than riding them), and it’s probably just about as ethical as riding a horse. If you’re OK with that, I don’t see why reindeer sledding is any different.
That said, if after reading this and doing your own research, you’re uncomfortable with reindeer sledding, that’s okay! You can still learn about Sámi culture, meet and feed the reindeer, and support the Indigenous Sámi guides who run these tours.
Ethical Sámi Tour Operators to Support
If you’re visiting Tromsø as most travelers to Northern Norway do, I suggest booking your Sámi tours through the Indigenous-owned company Tromsø Arctic Reindeer.
This company was founded in 2016 by a Sámi reindeer herder named Johan Isak Turi Oskal with two aims: to protect reindeer impacted by climate change and also to share Sámi culture with visitors to Norway as a means of preserving Sámi tradition and heritage.
Other companies provide reindeer tours with Sámi guides, but they aren’t Sámi-owned. The fact that my tour was Sámi-owned and operated was important to me which is why I recommend Tromsø Arctic Reindeer to my readers. They offer daytime tours and nighttime tours where you have a chance to see the aurora.
Allison Green is a former teacher who has been travel blogging since 2016. She has a Masters in Teaching and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing. Her blog posts merge her background as an educator with her experience traveling to 70+ countries to encourage ethical, meaningful travel. She has been a speaker at the World Travel Writers Conference and her writing, photography, and podcasting work has appeared in National Geographic, CNN Arabic, CBC Canada, and Forbes, amongst others. Now a full-time traveler, she has lived in Prague, Sofia, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
