- You have this stereotype of what an indigenous person is.
- You have this stereotype of what an indigenous person is.

Since we are white,
Since we are white,

it's quite easy for us to hide.
it's quite easy for us to hide.

And if I don't want to tell anyone that I'm Sami,
And if I don't want to tell anyone that I'm Sami,

I don't have to.
I don't have to.

My name is Jannie Staffansson.
My name is Jannie Staffansson.

I live in Sapmi in the Swedish side.
I live in Sapmi in the Swedish side.

My people are Sami.
My people are Sami.

We're traditionally reindeer herders,
We're traditionally reindeer herders,

but also fishermans, hunters, gatherers.
but also fishermans, hunters, gatherers.

Our culture and language are circled around the reindeer.
Our culture and language are circled around the reindeer.

Many of us used to be reindeer herders
Many of us used to be reindeer herders

and many of us aren't today because of different things.
and many of us aren't today because of different things.

A lot of us are struggling.
A lot of us are struggling.

But even if you are not a reindeer herder,
But even if you are not a reindeer herder,

the reindeers are still a very central part
the reindeers are still a very central part

of your identity.
of your identity.

Our entire creation story are from a reindeer,
Our entire creation story are from a reindeer,

a female reindeer,
a female reindeer,

with her eyes being the stars,
with her eyes being the stars,

and her blood being the rivers,
and her blood being the rivers,

and her hair being the forests.
and her hair being the forests.

Everything we are are tied to the reindeers.
Everything we are are tied to the reindeers.

People in Sweden, when they Christianized the Sami,
People in Sweden, when they Christianized the Sami,

they saw it as "This is a huge success
they saw it as "This is a huge success

and we will do it all around the world
and we will do it all around the world

to all indigenous peoples,"
to all indigenous peoples,"

the same structure of taking our children,
the same structure of taking our children,

making them into then men of church,
making them into then men of church,

boarding school, and such things.
boarding school, and such things.

After the church Christianized Sami,
After the church Christianized Sami,

they had people coming up and studying us,
they had people coming up and studying us,

measuring our heads and how tall we were
measuring our heads and how tall we were

and what a typical Sami looked like.
and what a typical Sami looked like.

And they dug up our bones from the graves and studied them.
And they dug up our bones from the graves and studied them.

And they are still in Swedish institutions.
And they are still in Swedish institutions.

But that was at the same time as Word War II
But that was at the same time as Word War II

and Sweden was very, very offensive
and Sweden was very, very offensive

when it came to racial studies.
when it came to racial studies.

And the stereotyping of us was that we were unintelligent,
And the stereotyping of us was that we were unintelligent,

that we were childish,
that we were childish,

and unable to know what was best for us.
and unable to know what was best for us.

My grandma, I know, when she grew up,
My grandma, I know, when she grew up,

she wasn't allowed to even carry her own voice in court
she wasn't allowed to even carry her own voice in court

'cause we were seen as not being able to do that.
'cause we were seen as not being able to do that.

And that kind of stereotype, it's still there.
And that kind of stereotype, it's still there.

And people are still surprised when I tell them
And people are still surprised when I tell them

that I've studied university
that I've studied university

and we have Sami professors and doctors.
and we have Sami professors and doctors.

It's been a process for Sami to gain our own voice.
It's been a process for Sami to gain our own voice.

We still don't have a representative in the parliament,
We still don't have a representative in the parliament,

for example.
for example.

Growing up, all I wanted really to do
Growing up, all I wanted really to do

was go with my father on the land, being with the reindeer.
was go with my father on the land, being with the reindeer.

And it's still kind of what I always want to do.
And it's still kind of what I always want to do.

When you grow up in a reindeer herding family,
When you grow up in a reindeer herding family,

you are supposed to take care of the smallest reindeers.
you are supposed to take care of the smallest reindeers.

You grow up quite fast
You grow up quite fast

because you are responsible for that life.
because you are responsible for that life.

You have to make these difficult, difficult decisions
You have to make these difficult, difficult decisions

and especially now, in climate change,
and especially now, in climate change,

'cause one mistake can be devastating
'cause one mistake can be devastating

for you and for the reindeer.
for you and for the reindeer.

We spend the summers in the mountains
We spend the summers in the mountains

waiting for the reindeer calves to get bigger.
waiting for the reindeer calves to get bigger.

And in the winter season,
And in the winter season,

that's when they're down in the forest.
that's when they're down in the forest.

Go around them and trying to protect them from predators.
Go around them and trying to protect them from predators.

You're trying to find best pasture.
You're trying to find best pasture.

What's most difficult is the winter season
What's most difficult is the winter season

when it's raining on the snow
when it's raining on the snow

and it forms an ice crust.
and it forms an ice crust.

And that ice crust makes it quite difficult
And that ice crust makes it quite difficult

for the reindeers to reach their food
for the reindeers to reach their food

'cause they dig down for their food, for the lichen.
'cause they dig down for their food, for the lichen.

And when they do that,
And when they do that,

can also be ice on the lichen
can also be ice on the lichen

which makes them cold inside
which makes them cold inside

and it's difficult for them to be healthy.
and it's difficult for them to be healthy.

The rain on the snow
The rain on the snow

also limits the reindeer to smell the lichen.
also limits the reindeer to smell the lichen.

And if they don't smell the lichen,
And if they don't smell the lichen,

they will just continue to migrate to better pasture.
they will just continue to migrate to better pasture.

But it's difficult to find that pasture now
But it's difficult to find that pasture now

with the climate change.
with the climate change.

We have limited areas that are continuously shrinking
We have limited areas that are continuously shrinking

and are fragmented because of development.
and are fragmented because of development.

The last couple of years,
The last couple of years,

we have had to supplementary feed them.
we have had to supplementary feed them.

It's not how reindeers are supposed to live,
It's not how reindeers are supposed to live,

in a fenced area with supplementary feed.
in a fenced area with supplementary feed.

It's not healthy for them.
It's not healthy for them.

It's kind of devastating
It's kind of devastating

because they're supposed to be free animals.
because they're supposed to be free animals.

But with climate change and with declining forests,
But with climate change and with declining forests,

we can't really do anything about it.
we can't really do anything about it.

You also have more and more disease on reindeer
You also have more and more disease on reindeer

you haven't seen before and you don't understand.
you haven't seen before and you don't understand.

And when climate change comes,
And when climate change comes,

it's just getting worse and worse.
it's just getting worse and worse.

And then keeping the reindeers in a fenced area
And then keeping the reindeers in a fenced area

just makes those diseases thrive again.
just makes those diseases thrive again.

It's a risk.
It's a risk.

You can lose your entire herd
You can lose your entire herd

just by making that wrong decision
just by making that wrong decision

and we have to make them every day during the winter.
and we have to make them every day during the winter.

It's easy to kind of say that,
It's easy to kind of say that,

"Yeah, well you can sell the reindeer
"Yeah, well you can sell the reindeer

and you can get money for meat,"
and you can get money for meat,"

but that's not why we do this.
but that's not why we do this.

Sami made a promise a long time ago
Sami made a promise a long time ago

to keep the reindeer safe.
to keep the reindeer safe.

That promise is something that's just so strong emotionally
That promise is something that's just so strong emotionally

and it's bound to who you are and your identity.
and it's bound to who you are and your identity.

And if I were to lose my herd, I would be no more.
And if I were to lose my herd, I would be no more.

I was quite young when I heard my parents and grandparents
I was quite young when I heard my parents and grandparents

talking about the changes that they saw
talking about the changes that they saw

and how rapid it was happening.
and how rapid it was happening.

After a while,
After a while,

you could hear more about climate change on the news
you could hear more about climate change on the news

and it just struck me that they knew so little about it
and it just struck me that they knew so little about it

in comparison to the voices of our community.
in comparison to the voices of our community.

At university, I studied chemistry
At university, I studied chemistry

because I wanted to really, really understand
because I wanted to really, really understand

changing weather patterns and how it affected the reindeer.
changing weather patterns and how it affected the reindeer.

I got a lot of info from my elders
I got a lot of info from my elders

and from my grandma and my parents.
and from my grandma and my parents.

A lot of things that my grandmother had already told about,
A lot of things that my grandmother had already told about,

medicinal plants, for example,
medicinal plants, for example,

were taught in school and books
were taught in school and books

and it verified what my grandmother already said.
and it verified what my grandmother already said.

That's also where I understood that traditional knowledge
That's also where I understood that traditional knowledge

and indigenous knowledge are quite like valuable.
and indigenous knowledge are quite like valuable.

We are outside in the nature every day.
We are outside in the nature every day.

When you're studying
When you're studying

climate change's effect on reindeer herders in Sweden,
climate change's effect on reindeer herders in Sweden,

you're doing it without the reindeer herders.
you're doing it without the reindeer herders.

So they are not partnering,
So they are not partnering,

they're just continuing to study us.
they're just continuing to study us.

And it's just a very backward way
And it's just a very backward way

and a very colonial way to do science.
and a very colonial way to do science.

I'm frustrated about that.
I'm frustrated about that.

If the funders never demands it,
If the funders never demands it,

it's not gonna happen.
it's not gonna happen.

Scientists won't cooperate with indigenous holders
Scientists won't cooperate with indigenous holders

in a respectful way,
in a respectful way,

because indigenous knowledge is difficult to explain
because indigenous knowledge is difficult to explain

and it's difficult to understand
and it's difficult to understand

what the elders are saying.
what the elders are saying.

It could really, really be powerful
It could really, really be powerful

if science and indigenous knowledge holder work together
if science and indigenous knowledge holder work together

when it comes to climate change and understanding it.
when it comes to climate change and understanding it.

It needs to be happening quite fast
It needs to be happening quite fast

'cause climate change is just happening so fast.
'cause climate change is just happening so fast.

(mournful music)
(mournful music)