Sami Reindeer Management under Technological Change 1960-1990: Implications for Common-Pool Resource Use under Various Natural and Institutional Conditions: A Comparative Analysis of Regional Development Paths in West Finnmark, North Trondelag and South Trondelag/Hedmark, Norway, Vol. 1

Abstract

"The Sami is recognized as the indigenous people of large parts of Fennoscandia. The reindeer has been ab important source of living since prehistoric times, and the reindeer industry is still important for sustenance of Sami culture. It has a mixed management regime where the pasture resource regulated by the common property produces inputs to the production functions of individual owners.

"During the period 1960-1990 reindeer industry in Norway were exposed to considerable technological changes with a shift from animal and human muscle power to motorization during a couple of decades. Parallel to this an extensive Co-Management reform was implemented. The intentions included promoting food resource utilization an d sustaining the industry as a part of the Sami culture. The outcome was regionally diverse. During the 1980's the southernmost regions experienced prosperity, while the northernmost regions encountered both low income and an increasing overgrazing of vulnerable lichen pastures due to growth in animal numbers.

"The two cases are investigated by comparative analysis based on the IAD Framework and a theoretical analysis of reindeer management production systems and institutions. The explanations suggested include differences in nature geography, institutional features and historical inter-ethnic relations."