The Legal Organization of Sami Reindeer Herding and the Role of the Siida

This chapter addresses the role of the Sami siida custom in reindeer herding and the need to recognize and strengthen the custom through legislation. Although Swedish and Norwegian Sami share the same reindeer herding traditions, there are significant differences in the national reindeer herding laws especially after Norway enacted a new Reindeer Herding Act in 2007. This Act gave legal recognition to the Sami siida custom, which has led to an individualization of rights to land areas within reindeer herding. Sami reindeer herding is characterized by a close connection with nature; the herding represents a complex coupled system of interchange among animals, ecology and reindeer herders. In Norway, reindeer herding in Troms County and counties to the south experienced a similar scenario to that of Sweden in 1886. The land area on which reindeer herding has been pursued since time immemorial was divided into reindeer herding districts by Norwegian authorities according to authority granted in the Common Lap Treaty.