Reindeer milking. ca. 1920. Photo: Salten Museum, Saltdal
The main theme of this year's reindeer husbandry conference is
CHANGES
- changes in reindeer husbandry and changes affecting reindeer husbandry
You are much welcome to register and attend the 16th Nordic Conference on Reindeer and Reindeer Husbandry Research held at
Tromsø, Norway, 16th to 18th November, 2010
The University of Tromsø will be hosting the conference which will be arranged in the traditions of the conferences of the Nordic Council for Reindeer Husbandry Research (NOR) who is the organizer of this event together with the University's Centre for Sami Studies (SESAM). NOR celebrates in 2010 its 30 anniversary.
Through the conference, the organizers want to bring together people from reindeer husbandry, management/administration, research and information communities, and all people who are generally interested in reindeer husbandry. The conference is multi-disciplinary and covers many different fields and aspects of research.
Reindeer Husbandry and Research
In the northern regions of the Nordic countries, reindeer husbandry is of great importance, economically as well as culturally. There are indeed many challenges for the future, and the resilience of reindeer husbandry will be of vital importance for the industry to stay in the long run. To give the reindeer industry a firm basis in knowledge has been the incitement of scientific research for a long time now and together with the local and skilled knowledge of the reindeer herders, these are essential elements in reindeer husbandry knowledge today.
Objectives of the Conference
From the first arrangement back in 1981, the meetings, workshops and conferences of the Nordic Council for Reindeer Husbandry Research (NOR) have tried to mediate the results of research and the conclusions and interpretations without any other ulterior motive than increasing the basic and applied knowledge within the topics of reindeer and reindeer husbandry. As such, that being NOR's motive also this time when we wish participants of different disciplines to bring new results or overviews of research to this 2010-conference held at the University of Tromsø by NOR and SESAM. Besides, the Sami Reindeer Herders' Association of Norway (NRL) is represented in the program committee of the conference.
Perspective of Changes and Reindeer Husbandry
The reindeer herds with its seasonal migrations has been a cornerstone resource for humans from the stone age on and long before that time the animal had an ancient and dramatic evolutionary history. Easily tamed, reindeer made the transition in living from hunting to husbandry a major step in the way of life in the North. Further, the earlier nomadic life of the reindeer husbandry families was a life in change and the migratory reindeer herds of today are also on move from one pastureland to another. The nowadays anticipated changes in weather events and climate are therefore in line with the changes that reindeer husbandry always have been part of; adaptation to new challenges is definitively not a new situation for the reindeer husbandry.
Participants and invited lecturers
To address the fact that changes are the general trend in reindeer husbandry, the conference wants to have participants' presentations, and special dedicated speakers representing scientific fields and projects that can provide comprehensive information about changes both in reindeer husbandry itself and in the ecosystems of reindeer husbandry - changes in the past, present and about educated prospects for the future.
Preliminary programme
Under the title heading, there will be invited lectures as well as participants' presentations in several sessions; The intention is to give perspectives in history, circumpolar updates, climate realities; ecosystems of reindeer husbandry, changes in law and administration, health aspects. As part of the sessions we hope to bring new research about veterinary conditions, losses, pollution and human health, domesticated/wild reindeer as well as social and historic subjects.
Two big projects have for some years been carried out in the northern regions, in the Circumpolar North and in Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway, and we want to present results from these important scientific events. In addition, all other research, both of social sciences and nature sciences, will be presented in open sessions. The division in sessions will to some degree be dependent on the participants' registrations of contributions, and the organizers will be free to decide to which session a contribution belongs and whether a presentation shall be in lecture or poster. The final programme therefore will be ready nearer to the conference; updates will come as and when there are news about the programme.
Organisations, projects, business industries, and official management of reindeer and reindeer husbandry have the possibility to present themselves in exhibition.
Publishing of the conference
Abstracts of presentations will be published in a Rangifer Report to be ready before the conference. A special issue of Rangifer (proceedings) with articles in English is planned to be published (See guidelines at Abstract and Proceedings).
Registration, accommodation and practical information
With this introduction to the conference, we ask you to register as early as possible to give us the possibility to make a detailed program ready in good time before the conference starts. Tromsø, the main city in northern Norway, is busy in events and arrangements, and the pressure on accommodation is high. Because of this, the hotel capacity in Tromsø is often limited, and to be sure to have a place to stay, is also a reason to register early and book a stay through our registration form.
A warm welcome from
Centre for Sami Studies (SESAM) and Nordic Council for Reindeer Husbandry Research (NOR)
