Saami Reindeer Herder Lives Alone in Arctic Wilderness | BBC Earth

Check out our Earth Unplugged film where Maddie Moate finds out what life is like to live off grid in the wilderness • Living Off Grid In The... . Petri is a Saami reindeer herder who lives in Finnish Lapland, within the Arctic Circle. Like his ancestors before him Petri has a very close relationship with the wilderness. During the reindeer calving season he lives out in the woods looking after the mothers and newborn. Petri shares some of his thoughts on a live led outside following the rhythms of nature.
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[@AWhimsicalSky]

I aspire to have the same level of job satisfaction this guy has.

[@noonoox12]

@Some Body gross

[@markusmuller6173]

Thanks for the on site report !

[@PoisonelleMisty4311]

The history of the Sami people has been largely marginalized and overlooked. The dominant narrative of Swedish history has focused on the achievements of the majority population, leading to a lack of awareness about the indigenous heritage and rights. Additionally, societal changes and globalization have led to a shift in demographics, prompting some Swedes to express concerns about cultural preservation and identity.

[@savednorwegian]

*Dont take the yellow snow* - thats some ancient wisdom right there ^^

[@khemarandinh3488]

please please BBC, make a series about indigenous peoples and their preindustrial lifestyles to show how important nature is to our livelihoods!!!

[@gaurav9579]

so heart warming to see that there are still some people who whole heartedly want to live in the lap of nature and not run behind money.

[@nippleninja255]

My grandma is from Lapland and I've wanted to learn Sami language for some time because I'm a huge language nerd but also because Sami people have the right to get service in their native language so it would also be beneficial.

[@misterbearmore4633]

@@HonnePerkele Nationality, Finnish. Ethnicity/Culturally, Sami.

[@tiihtu2507]

Learn it! Northern Sami should have the same status as Swedish in Southwestern coast of Finland. - Savonian

[@tinaluoma-welcome9607]

Myself as well! If you’re having luck finding a course anywhere please consider posting it. I’d be grateful to have this opportunity. I’ve written the Sami parliament without any success. I’m sure they are dealing with bigger issues than my wanting to learn proper Sami! Thank you kindly 😊

[@tinaluoma-welcome9607]

@@HonnePerkele both

[@t00hunter]

"Every place in the world, nature is a very important thing, and I hope they save that for the next generation."

[@dre857]

genuinely seems happy

[@sergeygrigorchuk]

You can tell if finnish school system is good, by the fact that rural people like this know second language this well.

[@freezedeve3119]

it might be even his 4th language :) sami, finnish, swedish english

[@matteo4096]

I've been in Finnish school and no one can speak English, only some teacher

[@YummYakitori]

Lol in Sweden Saami children were literally snatched forcibly from their families and placed into boarding schools and forced to stop speaking their native language or be smacked, racial profiling and abuse all around. Watch the movie Sami Blood.

[@inzaghi8935]

Matteo delusional much?

[@timomastosalo]

Tourism is also important in the Sámi areas and Lapland in general. It's very sparsely populated, so nature tourism is good there. Then huge percentage of the locals are somehow involved in it. People like Petri are good guides in those lands. Notice they might travel 40km of their home, and then the same journey back - if they don't sleep in the kota, which he nicely translated to teepee. Well, practically it IS the same thing. So some days he might travel a hundred kms, something like 60 miles, maybe not quite hundred. So he and people like him know the landscape. Maybe he can be a guide, when the reindeers give him the time. But I understand it's more like people can sometimes arrange meeting him and experience the reindeer and tenting life. But it's no mass tourism. But Lapland has some tourist centers where you can rent snow mobiles or cars, but usually it's more like the pros take you to a safari - with reindeers or sleighdogs etc.

[@Frederig]

I met Petri in Lapland. It was a great experience for me. He is such an authentic guy!

[@amandaforrester7636]

This is how mankind was meant to be. We have fallen out of Right Relationship with the spirits of the land and I hope that we will find our way back to it.

[@leocheck69]

there you have it folks ... the animals don't need us ... we need the animals ^^

[@RWMoortgat]

Lives alone in the wilderness, can speak at least one other language, probably more. Europe

[@Hartahim]

@willl 88 lol wtf

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Most likely speaks 4; Sámi and Finnish (the first or both as his native), english and swedish (if he lives in west Lapland).

[@eddiempate600]

When it comes to enjoy the sweetness of this beautiful planet...these people enjoy it at fully! Amazing lifestyle!

[@haleybunker1339]

They are beautiful gorgeous reindeers.

[@dianadominguez2758]

You are an amazing and fortunate man for living the life you do. Have a wonderful life.

[@sleefox]

Years ago met a Sammi on an exchange program. He visited a small University in Louisiana during the winter and was overheated. In freezing temperatures took a swim to cool off in the Neighbor's Pool. A wonderful and interesting Exchange

[@cherrieaulait]

Thank you for upload. What a beautiful life! Tough but worth every moment. That is a rich rich man indeed! 😊🦌🌲❄❤

[@biNoelle]

I don't think I could do this, but what he's doing is lovely. :) I love his accent and fury hat.

[@sanebooks]

I love Finland so much. And I love reindeers so much.

[@amandabruney3835]

Petri, thank.you for sharing your story. very beautiful. in Texas, I live on the edge of the woods,,still near the highway and not far from town. nearly every morning there are about 12 white tail deer and so many birds thank come out of the woods. I get a chance to watch them and observe their behavior. like you said... Much better than TV

[@tomtonka1915]

That's a really lovely thing you're doing, helping these beautifully peaceful, sentient beasts.

[@Kento_nanami_the_2nd]

Tom tonka he eats them and sells their meat

[@PurpleMould]

LOL

[@Rooztr]

the raindeers lives there wild, like he said, they dont really need humans

[@timomastosalo]

@@Kento_nanami_the_2nd And helps them. For farmers, they're not separate things - only for urban animal lovers.

[@user-wz4mu9ok7q]

He is so handsome

[@HonnePerkele]

Is that because he's Saami? Smh

[@mrj.kottari8453]

@@HonnePerkele He looks like being from mixed family of saami and southern Finland ancestry. So; variable genes = good looks.

[@waqasqazi8779]

@@HonnePerkele Bro your profile is Hate symbol

[@deeremies2266]

@@waqasqazi8779 That is finnish symbol Tursaansydän

[@tinaluoma-welcome9607]

This makes me so nostalgic. Love it! Keep it up ❤️

[@vincetwins7627]

I think he is the happiest man all over the world! Him, reindeers and the wild nature! Keep going on!

[@HonnePerkele]

Saami people don't get much money from reindeer herding, their life isn't really dancing with roses that much.

[@lennyl8365]

He remember me accent like from Island. Absolutely! Nice people.

[@lulou14MerMa]

Oh to live like that! Wow magical.

[@cobyveron]

it feels way better to live away from humans sometimes,,,,,humans can sometimes drive you crazy

[@cobyveron]

Ambassador of Kekistan well that goes with it too

[@coko3159]

cobyveron yeah but t can be the exact opposite too. You can go insane from loneliness

[@cobyveron]

Dang Lin-Wang agreed😄

[@Sudstah]

thx BBC I love these little nature snippets

[@rakshith837]

"There's quite " and then there is quite.what a beautiful video..

[@FeedThemCake]

To be born as one of the Sami people and into the Sami way of life is the luckiest thing in the world. Special people! Distinct ethnic group with ancient ancestral origins. I hope they stick around and manage to preserve the integrity of their culture as well as their ethnicity.

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Nowadays they're more lingual and cultural minority/group than ethnic group as they've mixed with southern "white" people quite heavily since 1500s. Example Petri here in the video looks just like an average young Finnish guy, could be from anywhere outside the Sámiland. Some sámi people still have the distinctive darker complexion skin/black hair and more "east asian" eyes of their ancestors.

[@jonathanpratama611]

this guy should receive his medal

[@timomastosalo]

He already has: - the nature, his job.

[@freaker126]

Would be fun to live in such places for awhile. Taking in the fresh cool air. 🤓

[@Curi0u50ne]

So relaxing with this on Christmas Eve 2018 bbc4 for hours and hours just following the heard

[@timomastosalo]

You mean herd? following the reindeer herd.

[@chairshoe81]

i dont need that stupid sappy cookie cutter stock music in the background to know im watching something deep and emotional

[@grytlappar]

Oh my. Everyone else but you (and 37 other people) were left feeling peaceful and serene after watching this video. You meanwhile...

[@mschanti22]

Kaunista. Beautiful.

[@808kicks2]

His knowledge of English is amazing very impressive amongst many other impressive things

[@Xo1ot1]

really enjoyed this, editing fit perfectly with the content

[@markusmuller6173]

Thanks for the on site report !

[@darnedmallard8924]

I'm from Savonia Finland and I would be more than exited to be your talonpoika for a year...

[@irishelk3]

I love solitude and peace and quiet so living in an urban area makes it very hard to have those luxuries. I respect these kind of guys but thats too much, i like to stay in my own space but i also love to go out to town for a stroll around, were made to socialize. Its about balance.

[@tiztiz4762]

Socialization can be done much better if you live in integration and not in contrast with nature. Living in contrast with nature ultimately means living in contrast with ourselves

[@irishelk3]

@@tiztiz4762 Yeah, wow, so true.

[@fellipedasilva99]

Some people thrive on little socialization. Genetics and the way you were raised makes some people very happy to be mostly alone. In the video he also says he has friends. Living in rural areas doesn’t mean you are always alone. Small towns and villages are a thing lol. I grew up in a rural/small community. Best childhood I could ever ask for really. Nature is essential for good health in every way shape and form. I still live in a leafy suburb and there’s a big wooded/wild area next to the town. Very few people around and mostly nature, just the way I like it.

[@driver55]

A beautiful people. A land based, nature based people. Never forget your roots. All people once came from tribal & indigenous peoples. 🙏

[@driver55]

@Marcus yes understood but I meant more how they continue to hold on to their culture and old world values. Many indigenous peoples are losing the knowledge of their ancestors.

[@greetings.haveaniceday.7162]

Seems like a dream come true

[@sunnyjohn552]

So beautiful place

[@radiustv7028]

Klaus from netflix brought me here.

[@factcheckingyourmum]

😁 Same

[@HonnePerkele]

Saami people live in my country

[@antsfinland2760]

@@HonnePerkele You from Finland?

[@leahozhantortune771]

@@antsfinland2760 not only Finland Sweden, Norway, and Russia have a lot of Lappish people too

[@antsfinland2760]

@@leahozhantortune771 Yeah I know I just looked at his username

[@p1nesap]

Well-spoken man.

[@gwimyeon]

Don’t take the yellow snow is always good advice .

[@antoniescargo4158]

I can not get rid of the subtitles.

[@MrHeadcrab12]

Beautiful.

[@floryan9157]

Looks like a Peace-cold place...

[@aybmnn]

"Too many people for me."

[@raphistoll5868]

Thank you very much for the subscribes !!

[@shikharai5108]

So beautiful. I wanna live there too. :')

[@shikharai5108]

and stop ruining the video.

[@shikharai5108]

Prithvi Raj Stop being racist. EVERY HUMAN BEING IS NOT THE SAME.

[@prithviraj6529]

our race isnt bad. but we like to put dirt around. and thats a big no to thw whole world. idk when we are going to learn. it hurts when people say bad things.

[@shikharai5108]

Prithvi Raj Way to go, deleting your comments is good. Atleast you know you were wrong. I totally agree, human beings are just meant to ruin everything. We are of no good We always take everything for granted , like nature for instance but there are these small amount of ppl who are trying very hard to make this world a better place. Never generalize and impose streotypes on ppl. Not everyone is the same. And I didn't say bad things intensionally, I defended myself.

[@KeeRaSha]

Love reindeer

[@BumbleBeeBeeRock]

beautiful

[@englishhive5735]

It's amazing!

[@user-zh3qg8bk3f]

I love u

[@llam9876]

Respect ✊

[@piafredriksson400]

we all want to live in harmony with nature but we don’t fallow our natural way of living when we live in monster cities, disconnected from the way of living we desire in our hearts. When we became more and more disconnected we stop caring about the nature and the wildlife around us and our focus shifts to things that’s don’t really matter at all.

[@tinaluoma-welcome9607]

This Sami man looks exactly like my first cousin. My siida is around Inari, are you?

[@jarijanssens1182]

it's a fact that there are way too many people on this planet it's a shame there is no easy solution to solve this problem though...

[@sumedhahalder159]

4:05 This person is kristoff for sure 🦌

[@jdsmith5060]

peace and quiet

[@vivahernando1]

Where's little Rudolph? I saw Prancer and Vixen at 2:30 they were like "Eric, Eric, Eric drop me some food"

[@HonnePerkele]

Eric??

[@mrj.kottari8453]

*Petri

[@garychynne1377]

enjoyed

[@yaboijuan4052]

when they come at you with the 10 million a year job, send them this way plz.

[@samuelrodick6326]

Totinen Tonttu like u wouldn't take it

[@timomastosalo]

Careful, usually people's head can't handle excess money

[@rolandsharp]

Beautiful! There's no nature left here where I live. We're all enslaved. Beautiful to see that there are some truly free men left in the world.

[@Rusmix]

when animals dont run when they saw human is rare sight

[@mrj.kottari8453]

These reindeer are semi-domesticated, they wander most of the year free in the wilderness and are gathered to fences twice a year for eartagging the fawns and taking portion of the herd out for slaughter. They've got used to people giving them fodder during hardest Winter months, so they follow you around if you come across a herd in the winter, thinking that you have reindeer cakes/pellets for them

[@dragonkissed2099]

He is not alone… he has a family and is married to Kirsi

[@IllyasvielVonEinzbern01suJ]

Must've had unique experience with the reindeer when he was younger and decided to be a herder

[@timomastosalo]

His father was a reindeer herder. It's just like things used to be in the countryside for thousands of years: the son will inherit the father.

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Reindeer raising/herding is occupation that runs from father to son (or daughter) in his cultural and lingual minority.

[@moisuomi]

He looks Finnish too

[@antoniescargo1529]

I do not want subtitles.

[@alimasoumy3031]

What is so wonderful in living with no human around

[@HonnePerkele]

You wouldn't get it… you've never been in the nature.

[@waqasqazi8779]

Extroverter

[@redheadrusskie]

It's interesting how some with so much can be so miserable while people like this with nothing are satisfied with everything.

[@zakosist]

I think its much because people are usually better off the closer they are to living in a natural environment, just like most animals. It's what we were first and inherently adapted to. Even though people can be happy despite some unnatural aspects in life, and suffer during natural conditions. I think people are generally more "prepared" for facing the types of hardship that are common in nature, than those who are way more common in modern societies. And some of our needs are ofter met in a natual envirorment than in modern society

[@timomastosalo]

No no, it's not like he has nothing. And we are not build to handle excess money, it'll will play with your head. Sufficiently, is a good amount of money.

[@tiihtu2507]

You must be a billionaire if you think that person has 'nothing'. 😄

[@pyromorph6540]

He has everything my friend

[@Merry19ss]

Native European Ártico. 'Frozer ' en esta película salen .

[@GpD79]

I'm curious what he herds the reindeer for. Does he herd them for their meat, fur, milk, or some other reason? I'm assuming he's herding them for their meat.

[@philsteakerson1797]

GpD79 Meat and hides. The meat is absolutely delicious and their fur is really warm and soft.

[@Feskochsnus]

Actually all of it.

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Nowadays meat and pelts. Back in the days when Sámi people lived nomadic life following reindeer herds, they hunted wild ones much similar to how arctic North American indigenous people hunt caribou and they used almost the entire corpse in various ways. Only the biggest bones and skull + some intestines were unusable in everyday life.

[@sumedhahalder159]

Reindeer s seems to say "Olaf"

[@victorfisker5246]

Anyone who understod what he said in the beginning of the video?

[@nastygollum]

tosac yes.

[@Gubbi.11]

❤️

[@sushibodega8980]

one word....frozen

[@JagagiMind]

yeey! =)

[@drnosy]

[@jacobrobertson8875]

how does he survive in the cold

[@grytlappar]

As a fellow Nordic person: the trick to dressing warm is layering.

[@sinister1784]

take

[@cathywright6665]

The man said that this was his livelihood. My question is, how does he make money doing this? Where is the cash flow? He has to buy the feed, how does he make money from the reindeer? Stupid city dweller question?

[@callumsturgeon4216]

Cathy Wright probably by selling the products if the reindeer, I.e. the meat, pelt (coat), hooves, antlers etc.

[@aegresen]

Seems like Reindeer are used for food, fat etc. much like pigs or cows.

[@cathywright6665]

Callum Sturgeon, thank you for your reply. Much like a Beef Farmer here in Ontario, but on a smaller scale I suspect...?

[@adoschtinad]

Cathy Wright He sells the meat, hide and even antlers and organs. Just as long as the levels of cesium in his deer is in the acceptable range. Tjernobyl caused a lot of fallout in these areas which has hurt the reindeer herders.

[@whenuakitekid]

Venison

[@WillTesler]

What's the purpose of reindeer herding? To make reindeer milk?

[@zakosist]

Reindeers are used as meat, and I've seen reindeer fur used as carpet. It's probably used to make clothes as well, I actually think I've seen with clothes made of reindeer fur (but I'm not 100% sure it was reindeer). I dont know if they sell reindeer milk, but it may be that reindeers dont produce enough milk for that

[@grytlappar]

The reindeer milk would go to the reindeer calves...

[@KimmoHintikka]

Meat and leather mostly. Smoked reindeer is great.

[@HonnePerkele]

Are you dumb??

[@mrj.kottari8453]

@@HonnePerkele He's American. They know reindeer only as Santa's magical transportation animals... What a shock 🤭

[@jamiecroft8130]

Deery me

[@sinister1784]

snow

[@lilconfused686]

Dude, is this the "my life is a potato" guy grown up?

[@HonnePerkele]

Shut up and fuck off

[@Donari]

Torille?

[@user-rl6gw9lr8l]

жесть

[@dylendog]

The oldest European Tribe

[@jokemon9547]

@Northern Lad That would be the Basque people, since they are the last remnants of paleo Europeans. Both Uralic and Indo-European people are newcomers to the region compared to them.

[@mrj.kottari8453]

Sámi are the only lingual/cultural minority in Europe with official Indigenous People Status

[@r.v.b.4153]

@@jokemon9547 Hahaha, the Basques (and probably their language) mostly descend from the Early European Farmers (Cardial Ware). They gradually came from the Near East to the Basque region 7000 years ago. The Sardinians have a higher percentage of DNA from these peoples. Unlike them, Basques retained the language. The Indo-Europeans originate in Eastern Europe. That's much closer to Finland than the Near East. The Saami and Finns mostly have their DNA from these Indo-Europeans. The local hunter-gatherer DNA of European regions is also preserved in European DNA in much lower quantities. This hunter-gatherer DNA (when excluding that from Indo-Europeans) is among the highest in Scandinavia. That being said, the Saami have a large percentage of East Asian DNA that came into Europe ~2000 years ago. This makes them less native (from my POV) compared to ethnic Finns or Swedes.

[@r.v.b.4153]

@@mrj.kottari8453 That takes the entire word "indigenous" out of its semantic context. Saami are not more indigenous than other European populations.

[@mrj.kottari8453]

@@r.v.b.4153 Might be that "indigenous" doesn't mean what you think it means.

[@waldo3448]

outsider

[@sinister1784]

the

[@sinister1784]

dont

[@friction72]

He looks like the theater thug

[@rene29200]

👍❤️👍😎👍🤡👍

[@billadmond9450]

These animals eat the same GMO food given to domestic cattles.

[@Finer_Details]

The word "GMO" has this negative stigma even though it really isn't any worse than "normal" food.

[@valkeakirahvi]

They wouldn't if the Finnish settlers didn't stole their land and make the traditional herding almost impossible. Now they don't have enough land to feed the reindeer naturally. Anyway, cattle isn't fed GMO in Finland (edit: some is used, but not commonly and not by the biggest producers)

[@billadmond9450]

@@Finer_Details The word "prostitution" has its negative stigma even though your mom does night shifts to pay your bills so she is no worse than prostitutes.

[@billadmond9450]

@@valkeakirahvi How do you know that cattle isn't fed GMO? Even trash mcdonnalds say the same thing but they keep their recipes secret. Cattle is fed with lab vitamins, antibiotics, hormones etc. etc., the list is endless.

[@valkeakirahvi]

@@billadmond9450 Because the largest cattle producers in Finland have agreed to be GMO free, it's far less common than in many countries. Hormones are also not given, and antibiotics only if the animals are sick. You can look at the statistics, Finland is among the countries with the least antibiotic consumption in animal industry. Anyway, I'm getting my McDonalds burger vegan & gmo free lol

[@Pumpkintiti]

He's killing the reindeer, shameful. Make another type of living.

[@xejune]

Nothing shameful about it. He treats them well and doesn't kill excessively. He doesn't waste them either and it doesn't pollute the environment the way most other jobs do.

[@grytlappar]

So, are you a vegan then? Educate yourself on the Sami people before you flap your mouth.

[@avatarion]

No vegan can survive in Lappland. The Sami people wouldn't exist today without reindeers.

[@valkeakirahvi]

@@avatarion Lappland isn't at the north pole, they got supermarkets there, you just have to drive a bit further than in Helsinki :D So yes there are vegans in Lappland and vegan Sami. And the Sami actually only tamed the reindeer at around 1500AD, and some of them have never been herders but remained hunted-gatherers. Nowadays reindeer herding is a defining feature of the Sami people because that is what mostly sets them apart from Finns and Scandinavians.

[@tiihtu2507]

@@valkeakirahvi Buying food from supermarkets and living self-sufficiently are two different things.

[@greatestever8976]

best advice...don't eat the yellow snow!

[@klipkultur2951]

Yellow snow can get you blind.

[@1p6t1gms]

And she said, with a tear in her eye, "Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow" Frank Zappa-Don't Eat The Yellow Snow youtube,com/watch?v=TLIppgE45wM

[@savednorwegian]

Ancient wisdom

[@tamnickyle]

Greatest Ever That's a nice butt in your profile picture.

[@molekaram4347]

🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧🍧dggyhh

[@user-rl6gw9lr8l]

жесть