“They Followed the Power of the Plant”: Historical Sami Harvest and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (Tek) of Angelica archangelica in Northern Fennoscandia

Sammanfattning

Native Sami people in northern Fennoscandia have used a wide range of native plant species for food and medicines throughout history. Plants and plant use are deeply embedded in the Sami traditions and subsistence in northern ecosystems. The overall aim of this study was to gain understanding of the Sami people's interaction with the herb Angelica archangelica in historical times and investigate if this use went beyond a pure opportunistic harvest of wild plants to include management of plants. To analyze this question, we combined studies of ethnographic information, an experimental field study, and discussions with a Sami woman with extended knowledge of Sami plant use. We suggest that the Sami people had a profound understanding of the complexity of the plant life-cycle. They dispersed seeds to favored areas and used harvest techniques intended not to deplete plant populations. The harvest experiment shows that it is possible to prolong the plant's life span by repeatedly harvesting infertile plants. A cross-disciplinary approach is needed to expand understanding of past plant use. Our results place overall Sami subsistence practices in a new light, as being cared for, managed, and sustainable.

Nyckelord

traditional ecological knowledge; experimental harvest; interview; northern Sweden; forest history

Publicerad i

Journal of Ethnobiology
2016, volym: 36, nummer: 3, sidor: 617-636

SLU författare

• Rautio, Anna-Maria

  • Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    
  • Skogsmuseet

• Axelsson Linkowski, Weronika

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Östlund, Lars

  • Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Associerade SLU-program

SLU Centrum för biologisk mångfald, CBM

Globala målen (SDG)

SDG2 Ingen hunger
SDG12 Hållbar konsumtion och produktion

UKÄ forskningsämne

Tvärvetenskapliga studier
Historia
Ekologi

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-36.3.617

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/77616