The reindeer has kept the north of Europe populated and warm through the ages. Although times have changed, the relationship between people and reindeer has remained the same. For the people of the North, the reindeer has never been simply an animal but rather a whole world, a way of life, and a subject for thought. The life of a Sami revolves around this arctic animal and its value cannot be measured simply from an economic point of view. The reindeer is a northern material whose utilisation has long traditions.

Alongside its material significance, one can call to mind a time before machines, when the reindeer was used as a mode of transport. At the same time as the reindeer provided the family with bread, it was used to make different items, clothes, and reindeer tending equipment. The reindeer is used in a variety of ways and nothing really is left unused. According to old tales, even the spirit of a reindeer is carried on the wind, guiding the people of Lapland. It is difficult to find any other animal whose utilisation has extended to such wide and advantageous applications.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF REINDEER HANDICRAFTS

Apart from meat, the reindeer is a recognised handicraft material with ever increasing new applications. Reindeer handicrafts are products made using traditional methods or made by hand. The products are either traditional in style and shape or completely new ones with up-to-date designs. They are characteristically functional. Raw materials from reindeer fall into two categories: hard and soft. The soft materials, reindeer skins, are mainly used for making different useful items and clothes. The hard materials are the antlers and bones. Souvenirs, such as key rings and trolls, are a separate group of small items. The ever-increasing use of the raw materials from reindeer as part of or the main material in clothing, textiles, and works of art is significant. Mention can also be made of the many contexts in which the reindeer has been the subject of, or inspiration for, an artist's creativity. All the product groups try to bring out a feeling of the north and the uniqueness of the material.

1 REINDEER SKIN

There are two main types of reindeer skin work: fur work and leather work. The skins can be treated by hand or by using industrial methods. Small items, such as bags, or coffee and sugar pouches are made in the traditional way from leather tanned by hand. Useful items, such as mittens, shoes, and hats get their shapes from the skin of the reindeer's leg. Coats and traditional jackets are made from the skins of reindeer slaughtered in the autumn. Other garments and more modern products are usually made from industrially treated reindeer skins.
The reindeer is at its best in the autumn and the skins are saved then and in the winter, during the slaughtering season. Reindeer are not slaughtered for their handicraft materials but for their meat. After meat production, an unbelievable amount of handicraft materials become available, so there is little controversy over the use of reindeer skin for different purposes. There is no need to fear the reactions of animal protectionists because the reindeer is slaughtered primarily for its meat.

1.1 The History of the Use of Reindeer Skin

The use of reindeer skin has long traditions. Skin has been a useful and valuable material for clothing and other items in arctic regions. It is the oldest raw material for making clothes, and how to treat it has been known for centuries. The treatment of the skins using different methods has provided materials suitable for a multitude of purposes. In winter, the people mainly in reindeer herding circles wore the "peski" made from reindeer skins. These were a Lapland-style fur coat. A "sisna" leather suit with trousers and shoes served as summer wear, and these were made to be waterproof. Other essential items made from reindeer skin were different pouches and bags, and the equipment needed for reindeer herding, such as straps. Leatherwork was primarily the work of women who were diligent and skilled experts. The long history of using reindeer skins has left its traces on the products and how the skins are treated.

1.2 Traditional "Sisna" - Reindeer Skin Tanned by Hand

Reindeer skin was traditionally treated with simple tools and using substances available from nature. The skin was softened and got its colour from birch and willow bark, no chemical agents were used. The old method of treating reindeer skin is still used by the Sámi. Hand tanned leather is a natural and ecological material and pure "sisna" is used for items that store foodstuffs.

Leather that is treated by vegetable tanning and natural methods has better tensile strength than industrially treated leather so it is suitable for usage that demands strength. "Sisna" is also a waterproof material that is easy to shape, so it is good for making footwear. It is excellent for children's toys because it contains no added substances. Reindeer skin without added substances is used first and foremost in traditional Sámi handicrafts, which can be recognised by the special "duodji" symbol. A beautifully surfaced skin tanned by hand is particularly suitable for the carefully made hand-sewn items in which the surface of the skin and its special pliability feature strongly.

Working with reindeer skin demands a high professional standard and a deep knowledge of the material and its methods of use. To achieve the correct, durable, and appropriate material, the expert must know when reindeer skin is at its best and how to work it. Achieving a high quality material is not easy - it is exacting and time-consuming work that demands persistence from its maker. These days, there are ever fewer craftsmen working traditionally with reindeer skin and the skill rests in older hands. Skilled knowledge no longer passes on naturally through practise as before, rather leather working and making products more often has to be learned from the older experts.

1.3 Tanned Leather

Tanned leather is industrially treated with chemicals and it resembles "sisna" to some extent. It is now used for the same products as "sisna" but its production has become more mechanised. It is used for making different bags and backpacks and new products, mostly souvenirs. It is light brown in colour.

1.4 Reindeer Suede and Shiny Leather

Reindeer suede and shiny leather are especially suitable for clothing. Reindeer skin is thin, durable and easy to shape, which is essential in making clothes. It also feels comfortable to wear. Industrially produced reindeer suede and shiny leather are available in a wide range of colours.

1.5 Decorative Hide

A hide for decorative purposes is a soft, hair covered hide. Reindeer hair is hollow so it breaks due to movement and wear and tear, and therefore the hide of a fully-grown reindeer is not a good material for garments. The skins of calves slaughtered early in the autumn were traditionally used for this purpose as they still have the short new autumn hair, so it does not break. The characteristics of treated fur skin are softness, warmth, and a shiny surface. When used outside, a decorative hide absorbs a certain amount of water because of the chemicals used, and so it feels damp outside. Decorative hide is used to a certain extent in making souvenirs, such as seating covers, and it can sometimes be used in outfits.

1.6 A Hide to Lie on

The hide is hung on a wall to dry out. When the fat in the reindeer skin dries on the surface of the hide, it forms a water-repellent coating. The hide is good to lie on and it can be used on a sledge in winter or on a boat in summer. They were traditionally used by reindeer herders to sleep on in a lean-to shelter or in a "kota" (traditional Lapland tepee).

1.7 Skins from Reindeer Legs

Reindeer leg skins have traditionally been used for shoes, hats, mittens, and gaiters. The structure of the hair on the leg is different to the hair on a hide in that it does not break, but it is short and has a shiny surface. In the new method of slaughtering in abattoirs, reindeer legs are cut off at the knee and the rest is thrown out so therefore there are no materials available. A certain number of discarded legs have been collected and therefore fine material has been obtained to make different products. Mobile phone and thermos flask covers are among the new products made from leg skins.

1.8 Skins from Reindeer Skulls

These skins are used for making footwear called "kallokas" ("skullers") because of the material used. The hair on the skin of a skull is denser and thicker than on that on the legs, so "skullers" are good in freezing temperatures. Skins from skulls are not used for much else.

1.9 Thread from Reindeer Sinews

Sinew from a reindeer's back was used for sewing leatherwork and it is still used sometimes. When skinning the reindeer, the sinews are taken in long bunches and dried. Then the dried bunches of sinew are softened. Strands are separated from the softened bunches and these are used for sewing. These days, industrial wax thread, which has similar qualities, has superseded the use of sinews.

2 BONES AND ANTLERS

Bone and antler form the hard part of products made from reindeer material. The use of these hard materials is an indication of the reindeer herders' skills in using parts of the reindeer efficiently and purposefully. The development and making of products is based on the fact that items were needed for everyday use. Working with this material demands an exacting knowledge of antlers and bones, so the maker knows the suitability of the material for different products. Working with hard materials has traditionally been the domain of men.

2.1 Antlers

Lapland spoons and knife sheathes are traditionally made from reindeer antlers. The beautifully curving antler used in a knife sheath is also practical because the point of the sheath does not awkwardly poke into the ground. Small antler trinket-boxes and beautifully decorated belt buckles and scarf holders are also examples of skilled antler work. Antler is also used on a bag to keep it shut and as a tool for net and cord weaving. Needle cases are still a popular antler product. Antler can be inlaid on a Lapp wooden cup and a churn, which are decorated with different ornamentation. Traditional antler work is beautifully decorated. It is a combination of the skilled use of materials and the concept of art. Antler jewellery is a new group of products that has appeared on the market. Antler candle holders and other small items are often seen in shops. Antler buttons are a popular detail on different clothes and leather items.

2.2 Bones

Reindeer leg bones are the main raw material in bone work. The leg bone is a beautiful pale colour and smoother than an antler. Leg bones are used to make the necessary tools for making cords and belts, such as awls and weavers' reeds. The form that started from cord awls is seen in letter opening knives - a new product. Needle cases are also made from leg bones. A reindeer shoulder blade can be used as a percussion instrument and a jawbone makes an excellent gun in children's games.

3 REINDEER HOOF-TIP JEWELLERY

Collecting reindeer hoof tips for making jewellery is still a relatively new idea. A reindeer hoof tip is still soft at the working stage so it can be made into different shapes. When it dries, it hardens and the shape becomes permanent. It can be finished off by rubbing and this gives it a beautiful shine. Hoof tips come in different shades of black and grey; white is quite rare. They can be used to make buttons, and for decorating or making parts for different products. The small bones from a reindeer's foot or from inside a hoof are excellent for different games and for children to play with.

4 REINDEER DROPPINGS

Selling dried reindeer droppings in a bag to nourish flowers is a new idea. This latest reindeer product is being developed and it is an idea worth considering, as the droppings are a good source of nourishment for flowers. There are also sweets called reindeer droppings - they taste of liquorice and are packed in plastic containers. These sweets are an indication of how the reindeer is used to create an image for a product and a way of marketing.

Text: Tuula-Maija Magga-Hetta, Photos: Tuula-Maija Magga-Hetta

© Copyright Paliskuntain yhdistys, 2002