I'm staying at Porotila Toini Sanila in Sevettijärvi, about 15 kilometres south of the Finnish-Norwegian border. I have chosen this address to learn about reindeer and reindeer husbandry. ‘Porotila’ is the Finnish word for reindeer farm.
It's an idyllic place, about a kilometre off the main road. The farm is located right next to a lake. A few small wooden huts are grouped together in the forest. I receive a friendly welcome and am immediately invited to dinner. There are few guests at the large table (it is not yet high season), but many family members and friends. ‘Being together is part of our culture,’ explains Miina, the boss Toini's daughter. I quickly realise that I am sitting at the table of a traditional Sami family. I had actually planned to visit the Sámi Museum in Inari first to learn about the culture before trying to make contact with a Sámi person or family. Now I am completely unprepared. Reindeer are not an issue this evening, because the Porotila have not existed for several decades. The name has remained.
I sit at a table with many interesting people, enjoy the hospitality and receive a lively introduction to the culture of the Sami people. I am in the territory of the Skolt Sami, a people who originally lived on the Arctic Ocean in the Petsamo region of present-day Russia. After the Second World War, the Skolt Sami had to leave their homeland because Finland had to cede the area to the Soviet Union. In Finland, they were resettled in the village of Sevettijärvi in the municipality of Inari. Sevettijärvi is a 60-kilometre-long roadside village and the largest settlement of the Skolt Sami. Around 350 people live in the municipality, 150 to 200 of whom belong to the Sami community. ‘But we are a village community,’ explains Toini. In such a sparsely populated area, you have to stick together.
In addition to the Skolt Sami, there are also the Inari Sami and the Northern Sami in Finland. Miina says that she knows two Sami cultures, as her father was Skolt-Same and her stepfather was Inari-Same. Her mother Toini adds that she comes from southern Finland from a non-Sami family. Through marriage, life and work, she has learnt about the Sami culture and way of life and has thus become a member of the indigenous people. Toini then explains why the traditional reindeer farm no longer exists. Her husband died when she was pregnant with her third daughter. How could she have managed to look after three children and 500 reindeer? At the time, she received a lot of support from her family and neighbours. Nevertheless, she continually reduced the herd. At the same time, she slowly built up a tourism business from the 1990s onwards. She says that many people always came to Porotila to help. They brought friends with them and everyone felt at home. Word got around and the first guests came. "In the beginning, we ate and slept in the same room. After the meal, the tables were cleared away and mattresses were distributed," Toini explains. Even today, she still receives mail from people all over the world who have experienced this warm welcome in the far north of Finland. Her daughter adds: ‘It's Toini's hospitality that brings people together.’
In the meantime, many of the former farm buildings have been converted into guest rooms. In the main building there is a cosy dining room for around 50 people. Most of the food on the table comes from the region: from reindeer products to fish and blueberries.
Another building is to be completed for this summer season. Friends from southern Finland have come to help. The family is originally from this area and regularly spend their holidays here. "We love the nature and the peace and quiet. Everything is so relaxed here, even the work is done without pressure," says the father of the family.
One of the regular guests and helpers is 17-year-old Maija. "I grew up here in the area, but my family originally comes from near Petsamo. I don't come from a Sami family, but I still learnt the language." While it was initially her parents who motivated her to do so, she is now grateful that she speaks Skolt Sámi. "When I was 15, I found it pretty boring here. I really wanted to leave and live in a bigger city," says Maija. She now attends secondary school in Ivalo and lives with her grandparents. ‘But I spend as much time as possible here in Sevettijärvi.’ When asked what is special and appealing to her as a young woman, she replies: "Life is so peaceful here. I like living with nature and I appreciate the rich Sámi culture. I don't miss anything here."
