0:00:14 > 0:00:17Reindeer.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Creatures of the Ice Age.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26At home in freezing temperatures, ice and snow.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Every year, they make a spectacular migration
0:00:29 > 0:00:33and for centuries, they've been joined on these epic treks by the Sami.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42The Sami are reindeer herders of Europe's far north...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..one of the continent's last nomadic peoples.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53An ancient and demanding way of life
0:00:53 > 0:00:57that still survives in the 21st century.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05But modern Sami have more choice than any generation before.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08The bright lights of Oslo must seem tempting
0:01:08 > 0:01:12compared to this wilderness of ice and snow.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Elle Siri and Inga Triumf are two teenagers
0:01:16 > 0:01:19about to embark on a difficult journey.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24They will soon have to decide whether the rewards of Sami life
0:01:24 > 0:01:25outweigh the hardships,
0:01:25 > 0:01:30and whether they'll become the next generation of reindeer herders.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45February in Arctic Norway.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The days are short and it's 30 degrees below zero.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52This time of year,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56every Sami family must round up their reindeer
0:01:56 > 0:01:58and drive them into a corral.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03BELLS TINKLE
0:02:10 > 0:02:14It's a health check to sort out those not fit enough
0:02:14 > 0:02:17to make the long migration later in spring.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21Old and worn teeth
0:02:21 > 0:02:26means the reindeer will be sold for slaughter for meat and hide,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28the profit from reindeer herding.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31No, the teeth was good.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Good teeth mean a respite, at least until next year.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Good teeth.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Won't sell this reindeer.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44BELLS TINKLE
0:02:47 > 0:02:51This is May-Torill, Elle's mother and Inga's aunt.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55She lives the Sami life with passionate enthusiasm.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Elle and Inga have grown up absorbing this passion for the Arctic
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and for these hardy, resilient reindeer.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07This far north,
0:03:07 > 0:03:12it's too cold and too tough for cows or sheep.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Only a creature that evolved during the Ice Age
0:03:15 > 0:03:18can really be at home in these harsh landscapes.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22But reindeer are more than just Arctic farm animals.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26To survive here, they need their wild instincts.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28For this partnership to work,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31the Sami have had to adapt to the reindeer's way of life
0:03:31 > 0:03:34as much as the reindeer have adapted to the Sami.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42In the past, the Sami used reindeer for everything,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45from food and clothing to transport and money.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53They were nomads, following their herds,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56living in reindeer-skin tents called lavvus.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Reindeer are still at the heart of Sami life,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05though the Sami have moved with the times.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09May-Torill's family live in Kautokeino,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11a modern Sami town in Arctic Norway.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16But many people still think of the Sami as locked in the past.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19We joke with them that we don't have cars
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and that we drive only with reindeers.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29But we are just normal people.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30Not SO normal.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34OK, not SO normal, but we are still normal.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39One aspect of their life is far from normal.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Every spring, Elle's family leaves Kautokeino
0:04:42 > 0:04:44and travels with their herd
0:04:44 > 0:04:48on one of the longest migrations still made by any Sami family -
0:04:48 > 0:04:54a journey of 250 kilometres through an ice-bound mountain wilderness
0:04:54 > 0:04:59to an island off Norway's spectacular Arctic coast.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09This difficult journey is never without problems,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13though they have no idea just what they'll face this year
0:05:13 > 0:05:15as they prepare for their long trek.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17THEY SPEAK IN SAMI
0:05:20 > 0:05:25We are taking things that we are going to use
0:05:25 > 0:05:28when we are going to the migration.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32She's helping me.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34This is my grandmother.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Elle's grandmother, Berit,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42has done this migration more times than she cares to remember,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44and in true Sami tradition,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46she's passing on her experience to Elle and Inga.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Reindeer are better adapted than the Sami to make these journeys.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Their large hooves are splayed and cup-shaped
0:05:58 > 0:06:01to help them walk on snow or ice.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Hooves that also make scoops to dig through the snow to buried lichens,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08their meagre staple diet in winter.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And they're perfectly happy in sub-zero temperatures.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19The hairs on their coats are hollow and filled with air,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23very effective insulation, both for reindeer and Sami.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30This is my mum going to wear when we are on the migration.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34It's very good when it's cold outside.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38This is reindeer skin.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44It's very warm and much better than this kind of clothes.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53This is what we use into the shoes, so it's warm.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Every part of a reindeer has a different use.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10THEY SPEAK IN SAMI
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This is from the rein head, reindeer's head.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20This is what we use under the shoes.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24It's very hard when you walk with them,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29it's not so easy to destroy or make holes in it,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31we take this with us.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39They're its eyes.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Even though they're at home in this extreme climate,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52winter is still a hard time for reindeer.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Long before spring, they've eaten all the lichens they can find,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01which is one reason they have to migrate to distant summer grounds.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And the females are now heavily pregnant.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14This would be a desperate time for them without Sami help,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17a real advantage of reindeer and Sami sharing their lives.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Timing the migration is everything.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Leave too early and the mountains could still be impassable.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Too late and the cows might drop their calves before they reach the island.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58But exactly when they start isn't up to the family.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The reindeer made their annual treks long before the Sami joined them.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09The females know they must reach the summer grounds before calving.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12When the time is right,
0:09:12 > 0:09:17the reindeer head for the coast, and the family follows.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Understanding the reindeer's natural abilities is crucial to the Sami.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27It can be a matter of life and death in the unpredictable Arctic.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31I remember one year we was on the migration
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and then it become a terrible weather.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38It was so bad, you didn't see anything.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43But we knew that if we follow the reindeers,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47then we are in the right direction.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52When the family emerged from that blizzard,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55the reindeer's unerring sense of direction
0:09:55 > 0:09:58had led them safely through the storm.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03What will this year's journey be like?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Three generations of Elle's family work together
0:10:09 > 0:10:13to shepherd this vast herd of thousands of animals
0:10:13 > 0:10:15safely over the mountains.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29This partnership between Sami and reindeer is an ancient one.
0:10:32 > 0:10:348,000 year old rock carvings
0:10:34 > 0:10:38show the ancestors of the Sami hunting wild reindeer.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42But over time, they learned to exploit the reindeer's instincts
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and to control the herds.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Snowmobiles are one part of the modern world that the Sami leapt on.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02In the past, all they had were skis and muscle-power.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Controlling the herd is now much easier.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14The males don't share the same urgency to migrate as the pregnant cows,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18so Elle and Inga make sure that none fall behind.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Even with the luxury of snowmobiles, this is a tough job.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27By April, the darkness of winter
0:11:27 > 0:11:30has given way to nearly continuous daylight,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32long days in the cold and wind.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37And before the girls can rest, they have to set up camp.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44On migration, they still live in lavvus,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48but now they're made of steel and canvas, and much easier to put up.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It takes just a few minutes to build a shelter
0:12:16 > 0:12:18from the relentless Arctic wind.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20And the snow here is soft enough
0:12:20 > 0:12:25for the reindeer to dig for lichens to eat before they rest.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Singing is as much a part of Sami life as reindeer.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40These songs are called joiks, songs that express the joy of Sami life.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43SHE JOIKS
0:12:50 > 0:12:56When you joik, it's to someone or to a mountain.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58You joik a mountain...
0:13:02 > 0:13:06..peoples, and to dog, reindeer.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09SHE JOIKS
0:13:23 > 0:13:27It's like how I feel when I drive with scooter, then I joik,
0:13:27 > 0:13:33and then the time and the trip is not so long when you joik.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38CHILDREN SING
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Even the youngest members of the family enjoy these songs.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50This is a favourite with Elle's younger brother and sister,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52a song about snowflakes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It says that snowflakes bring the freezing cold,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59but also carpet the ground in a protective blanket.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01It may be a children's song,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04but it says a lot about how the Sami see their Arctic world.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16At this time of year, the night only lasts a few hours.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Not much time to sleep.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Day two, and the first of this year's problems.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36The weather has been much warmer than usual,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38only around minus 15 degrees Celsius,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42and the snow is too soft, which is slowing the herd down.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Even worse, the melting snow has uncovered patches of grazing.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03The snow is so soft and the reindeers won't go,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05they just want to eat.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Every time we go, they want to take a break and eat.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14The family has to get the herd moving again.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18These days, they can't just rely on the reindeer's instincts.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19They have a tight schedule to keep.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The reindeer eventually take the hint.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Over the next few days, they slowly climb into the mountains.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36But this year, instead of meeting fierce blizzards,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40they find more warm weather, and that's not good.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Other problems that we've been having is that the lakes are melting
0:15:51 > 0:15:56and the reindeers cannot come over, because its so big, the lakes,
0:15:56 > 0:16:02and we have to find a place where they can go over.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06They have to take the long way,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11around the edges of the melting lakes, where the ice is still solid.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15But it will add a lot of time to the trip,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19time that at least gives the family a chance to go ice fishing.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Under their feet are delicious Arctic char,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30but to get to them means drilling a hole through the ice.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34THEY LAUGH
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It's not the right time to fish right now.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47But maybe. Who knows?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I'm setting a mark.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52ARGH!
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It's alive!
0:17:00 > 0:17:02There was a little fish.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22THEY SPEAK IN SAMI
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Ice fishing on migration is something of a tradition.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34Before the days of snowmobiles, the more food they could find on the way,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36the less they had to drag with them.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Nine days into the journey, they've reached the halfway point.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52But thanks to the warm weather, they're running late.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56They're now 100 kilometres from the modern world,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and immersed in an ancient way of life.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05For Elle's younger brother and sister,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08it's a glimpse of the way things were.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Their grandfather, Johan Henrik, is 74.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15He's been doing this migration since he was their age
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and knows every inch of the way.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Like May-Torill, his enthusiasm for this life is infectious
0:18:24 > 0:18:29and is one reason why the whole family make this difficult journey together.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34One of the things that is important when we are on the migration
0:18:34 > 0:18:39is that the kids can be with their grandfather.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Because he loves to tell them stories.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49And the kids really like to hear the stories,
0:18:49 > 0:18:54and he has a story for every rock, for every mountain,
0:18:54 > 0:18:55for every lake that we pass,
0:18:55 > 0:19:02so when we are in the tent and the kids are going to sleep,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05then he likes to tell us a story.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09When you close your eyes, you hear him
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and it's like you are with him on the trip.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18This story always thrills the children,
0:19:18 > 0:19:23about a wolf that, many years ago, crawled in to Johan Henrik's lavvu
0:19:23 > 0:19:25to share the warmth of his fire.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27But this story doesn't have a happy ending.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31The Sami don't like wolves.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34They used to be the bane of their lives.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Johan Henrik used to say when he was with the herd
0:19:39 > 0:19:41and the herd started to run,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44then they knew that the wolves were around.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47And he said his blood turned to ice.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50He was really afraid of them.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55But in 1950, the government said that the people could hunt them
0:19:55 > 0:20:01and they paid 2,500 Norwegian crowns to get rid of them.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05So, the people was really going after the wolf,
0:20:05 > 0:20:10and that's one of the reasons that you seldom see the wolf now.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16There's only a handful of wolves left in the whole of Norway,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20so modern Sami don't have to worry about this particular threat
0:20:20 > 0:20:22when they sleep at night.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32But time is pressing.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34As soon as it's light, the herd is pushed on,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37to the sound of Johan Henrik's enthusiastic joiking,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40loud enough to be heard over his snowmobile.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43HENRIK JOIKS
0:21:03 > 0:21:05It's four o'clock in the morning,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and it's been a cold night,
0:21:08 > 0:21:13and the snow is frozen and it's easy for the reindeer to walk.
0:21:13 > 0:21:19They go easily because the snow is so hard now.
0:21:27 > 0:21:34Today we are moving them about 20 kilometres.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42We have a couple of days before we reach the coast
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and it's going down.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49We've been up and now the reindeers are going down.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37We have stopped here because we have to let the reindeers rest
0:22:37 > 0:22:41and we give them some lichen,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43so they can eat,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47because the snow is frozen,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50it's good for the reindeers to walk.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52But they don't get food,
0:22:52 > 0:22:58so we have to give this and then we give this grass.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00So they can eat.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09We want to stay here for a couple of hours,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12so they can rest and then we go on.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It's a long way.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Ahead of them, at the coast, spring is already well advanced.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30After the silence of winter,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33the sound of running water fills the air.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40But for the family, it's a race against the seasons.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Elle and Inga have left the herd to get to the coast.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The girls went on ahead to meet their grandmother,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23who drove the long route around the mountains from Kautokeino.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28The problem is the busy E6 road,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31which crosses the reindeer's ancient migration route.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Yeah, people must stand there to stop the cars, and down there,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41and they must have Sami clothes, so they know why to stop
0:24:41 > 0:24:45because the reindeers are going over the road.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51While the girls prepare to stop the traffic,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54the herd is on its way out of the mountains,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and not a moment too soon.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58The rivers have started to flow again.
0:25:11 > 0:25:17Off the mountains and back in birch forest, the family is more nervous.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Predators are tracking the herd.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Any reindeer that drop their calves early
0:25:21 > 0:25:24will attract the attention of a wolverine
0:25:24 > 0:25:27May-Torill calls it "the lonely hunter",
0:25:27 > 0:25:30a habit that helps it to survive
0:25:30 > 0:25:31in modern Norway.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46The herd has to hit the exact section of road
0:25:46 > 0:25:48that Elle and Inga are ready to close,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52so they're led by a tame reindeer, called a heargi in Sami,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57another reindeer instinct exploited by the Sami.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00The herd follows exactly in the heargi's footsteps.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31The last of the herd is safely across,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33but the journey is far from over.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37With no snow, they have to follow the herd on foot,
0:26:37 > 0:26:42down a long peninsula that juts out towards the summer island of Arnoya.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Elle, Inga and Berit have gone ahead
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and have several hours before the herd catches up,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56so in true Sami tradition, they cook up a snack of reindeer.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10It'll be another short night.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17For the Sami, time isn't determined by clocks, but by reindeer.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22It's well before dawn when the herd arrives
0:27:22 > 0:27:25and is driven into a corral on the shore.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It's taken nearly three weeks to get this far.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35The whole herd has arrived safely,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38but exactly how many are milling around the corral?
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Only Elle's father knows.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Asking a Sami how many reindeer he owns is as rude as asking someone
0:27:43 > 0:27:46how much they have in their bank account.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47It's just not done.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52And this is why the family were so keen
0:27:52 > 0:27:54to stick to their tight schedule.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Another modern aid to reindeer herding,
0:28:00 > 0:28:05a converted car ferry, hired to take their herd across to the island.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13The pregnant cows are close to giving birth, and it might not look it,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16but this is the most stress-free way to get them to the island.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It'll take several trips to ferry the whole herd across.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18And after three weeks with little sleep,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21there's yet another long day ahead for the girls.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26I think we are finished about 12 o'clock tomorrow.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31But at least the warm and calm weather makes the crossings easier.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34You see the sea.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36It's no wind.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40The boat is going in schedule.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44It has been really a nice trip,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48and I hope when we get the last group there,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51then the reindeers can start their holiday.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54And when they come to island,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57the grass is growing,
0:29:57 > 0:30:02and I hope that the reindeers have a good time on the island,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and that we get many calves.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08So, we'll see. I really hope.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32The island of Arnoya is large, 10 kilometres by 20 kilometres,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36and the herd can wander where they will over the mountains.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42The climate this close to the ocean is milder,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44giving the grass here a head start.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Plenty of good grazing for the reindeer to recover
0:30:47 > 0:30:48from the lean winter.
0:30:48 > 0:30:54But that's only one reason why the family and their herd have travelled on such a hard journey.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58The main reason is that there are no predators
0:30:58 > 0:31:01like wolves and wolverines on the island.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04The only danger here is from above.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13And one of the things we have to look up for is the eagles,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16because there's a lot of them on the island.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20White-tailed sea eagles
0:31:20 > 0:31:23are big enough to take the young reindeer calves.
0:31:26 > 0:31:32And golden eagles also patrol the skies, looking out for newborns.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52That's one of the problems that we have to handle,
0:31:52 > 0:31:57but if you are close to the reindeers, then it's possible
0:31:57 > 0:32:01that you can save some of the reindeer calves.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06The Sami protect the reindeer,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09but the reindeer can look after themselves.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Reindeer calves are unique amongst deer.
0:32:13 > 0:32:14Within a few hours of birth,
0:32:14 > 0:32:18they're on their feet and following their mothers around.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Unlike other deer, the females have antlers,
0:32:22 > 0:32:27and keep them longer than the males to protect the newborn calves.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Summer bathes the island in 24 hours of daylight,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43fuelling the growth of nutritious grass.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49The calves, fed on the richest milk of any deer,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51are big enough to be safe from eagles
0:32:51 > 0:32:55so their mothers drop their antlers and start to grow new ones.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Over summer, Elle is back in school in Kautokeino.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09But this is no ordinary school.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11It's a Sami reindeer school,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15where the pupils are taught the most modern techniques of reindeer management,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17as well as the old Sami traditions.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24THEY SPEAK IN SAMI
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Here we have several courses for the students.
0:33:28 > 0:33:35This year, I think we have about 110...120 students,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38and five or six courses.
0:33:38 > 0:33:44Three of them are vocational studies
0:33:44 > 0:33:48and one is for reindeer herding.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53The very latest technology is added to the long Sami tradition.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Sami children own their own reindeer in the family herd,
0:33:57 > 0:34:02and recognise them from a unique set of marks cut into the ears.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05And the internet is the perfect way to keep track
0:34:05 > 0:34:08of a bewildering variety of ear marks.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16This is Inga's earmark
0:34:16 > 0:34:18and this is mine.
0:34:18 > 0:34:25I got my ear mark when I was seven years old.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30And I got mine when I was three years old.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42Summer in the Arctic is short.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Before long, autumn is here.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53A brief display of vivid colour before winter returns.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03The reindeer have been feeding well all summer
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and there are plenty of healthy calves.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Time for Elle and her family to return to the island
0:35:15 > 0:35:17for the next part of the yearly cycle.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37But first they have to find their herd,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40which has scattered all over the island.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45SHE SPEAKS IN SAMI
0:35:48 > 0:35:53So, now you have to look everywhere for the reindeers.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55They could be everywhere
0:35:55 > 0:35:59but they are on the highest places now.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14Getting the herd back together at this time of year
0:36:14 > 0:36:17means fighting the reindeer's instincts.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19In the herd, you have the biggest male.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24He's the boss for each group,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28and he's going to get the female reindeers in smaller groups,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30and then he takes them away.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33And he can go on the highest mountain
0:36:33 > 0:36:38and he won't let them go down before he's done his job.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41So, we have to get the reindeers together
0:36:41 > 0:36:45and get them over to the mainland before the mating has started.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54May-Torill and Elle have found most of their herd
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and radioed their position to the rest of the family.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01With an hour or two to spare before the round-up begins,
0:37:01 > 0:37:07there's plenty of time to light a fire and cook up another reindeer delicacy...
0:37:08 > 0:37:11..bone marrow.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14It's really nice, it's delicious.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17But you have to get used to it.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Once we were moving with the reindeers
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and we had a doctor from Netherlands,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27and one of the things that he ate was this,
0:37:27 > 0:37:32and he said it was really delicious but he got really pain.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33The stomach,
0:37:33 > 0:37:38it was really painful for him because he wasn't used to eat this.
0:37:38 > 0:37:45So he had to... He just had to go for a walk,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47many times.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06In autumn, the family switches from snowmobiles to quad bikes,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10more 21st century technology that makes their job a bit easier.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13And a lot faster.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16They are really moving fast with the reindeers.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20A long time ago, they used to walk.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25They used to say that to go to this mountain would use two or three days.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Now, they are moving in a couple of hours.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33So it's going to get much faster
0:38:33 > 0:38:37than it did for 20 or 30 years ago.
0:38:39 > 0:38:44It's important that we don't get all the reindeers in the same time.
0:38:44 > 0:38:50We have to get about 300 or 400 reindeers in the corral.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53So, we get the ear marks on the reindeer
0:38:53 > 0:38:57and slakt the reindeers that we need.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01We cannot wait till it's getting too dark.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05So, we have to be finished before six o'clock.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10So, the perfect thing is to have about 300 reindeers in the corral
0:39:10 > 0:39:12at the same time.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23They have to wait until all the calves find their mothers again.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Otherwise, no-one will know who owns which calves.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Elle's father, Nils Johan,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35will find out how well the family herd has done.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42But first, they've got to catch the calves
0:39:42 > 0:39:43and, at the same time,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46spot whose marks are cut into the mother's ears.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Then they can mark the calves.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55We have mine, my father, mother,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58and sister and brother...
0:40:00 > 0:40:04..and grandmother's mark I have to look after.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30As well as ear-marking,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33it's a chance to give the calves an anti-parasite medicine
0:40:33 > 0:40:36to condition them for their first Arctic winter.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44One more!
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Very good.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49As work proceeds, the family is optimistic.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54Yes, it seems like it's a good calf year.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58So we have to see, is it true?
0:41:06 > 0:41:08When my dad marks a calf,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11he take a piece from the ear and put it in a pocket.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13One more!
0:41:13 > 0:41:15And after we finished in the corral,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19then he counts how many calves he has marked.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21And then he knows,
0:41:21 > 0:41:26and when he knows the number, he throw it away into the corral.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29So, nobody else knows how many he has.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40One more!
0:41:44 > 0:41:46One more!
0:41:48 > 0:41:51We have almost marked the calves,
0:41:51 > 0:41:56so we should be finished by an hour, I think.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Then this part of the herd is driven out of the corral
0:42:01 > 0:42:02and down to the shore.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Only this time, there's no boat.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Now the females are no longer pregnant,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12they can swim to the mainland.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18As in spring, the reindeer know it's time to go
0:42:18 > 0:42:22and don't need much encouragement to start their autumn journey.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Good summer grazing has left the reindeer in excellent condition.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34They cross the kilometre-wide channel easily
0:42:34 > 0:42:36to reach the mainland.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56And tomorrow, the family will bring the rest of the herd
0:42:56 > 0:42:58out of the mountains, mark them,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00and swim them across to the mainland.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06But the autumn weather is changeable,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09and the next day brings the first breath of winter
0:43:09 > 0:43:10and rough weather,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14too rough to risk swimming the herd across the channel.
0:43:15 > 0:43:21All the family can do is wait it out and hope it doesn't last too long.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31The weather is still bad.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Should be on the mainland now.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38SHE JOIKS
0:44:09 > 0:44:13It's still too rough at sea, but time is running out.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17So the family decide to risk bringing in the rest of the herd.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21In thick mud and freezing rain,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24they catch and mark the last of this year's calves.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50They've no choice but to risk the crossing.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56The reindeer are nervous,
0:44:56 > 0:45:00but they're driven by a strong urge to return to their winter grounds.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04And once a leader takes the plunge, the rest follow instinctively.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13But Nils Johan is more nervous.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19The Sami say their money roams about,
0:45:19 > 0:45:22and Nils Johan is watching his family's life-savings
0:45:22 > 0:45:25swim across the rough water.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02All the animals have made it.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05No casualties.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10Another successful year for the partnership of reindeers and Sami.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14And as the herd makes its way back over the mountains to Kautokeino,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16it's been another year of learning
0:46:16 > 0:46:19for the next generation of reindeer herders.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24The more May-Torill's family experience their unique heritage,
0:46:24 > 0:46:28the greater the chance they will choose the life of a reindeer herder.
0:46:28 > 0:46:34I really hope that one of our kids, when they have got the education,
0:46:34 > 0:46:40that they can work with the reindeer and do what we do now.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Because the life with the reindeers,
0:46:43 > 0:46:48it's really...amazing, and it's really exciting.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53Thanks to this enthusiasm,
0:46:53 > 0:46:57Elle and Inga say they want to remain reindeer herders,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01following their herds through Norway's dramatic seasons.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12But this isn't just an emotional attachment to an old way of life.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16It's a very practical, hard-headed decision.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Sami life still flourishes in modern Europe
0:47:19 > 0:47:22because the Sami make money from their herds.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Turned into luxury meat and skins,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27these animals generate a good income.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36But even in the modern world, reindeer herding is hard work.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40The Sami say they live their lives as the reindeer decide.
0:47:40 > 0:47:45A way of life that will survive only as long as each new generation
0:47:45 > 0:47:50can see the enchantment in being the reindeer herders of the north.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56It is important that they are proud of the work that they do
0:47:56 > 0:47:59and they can say that we are Sami people,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01and we work with the reindeers.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03And we like the job that we're doing.