Finland’s Reindeer-Herding Sámi Women Fight Climate Change

Indigenous Sámi women like Inka Saara Arttijeff and Saara Tervaniemi in the northern reaches of Finland are standing up for their traditional way of life, which is now threatened by climate change. As reindeer herders, they have seen firsthand the devastating effects of rising temperatures and intensified logging, which disrupt the reindeers’ diets and migration routes. Women are making their voices heard, from Arttijeff advocating as part of a delegation of Indigenous representatives at the United Nations climate change talks, to Tervaniemi staying active as a member of the Saami Council. Gender equality and Indigenous rights are central issues of political life here, as seen with the Sámi NissonForum (Women’s Forum) which brings together Sámi women from the northern countries. Photo credit: Sonia Narang/ PRI