How climate change can alter a language -

When we think of climate change and the consequences it has for humankind, we don't necessarily think about it killing off language. In the Sápmi region of the Arctic, however, that's exactly what is happening. The daily life of the Sámi people is undergoing drastic changes due to climate change, and their traditional language is suffering as a result.

Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.

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Global warming -

As global warming continues to wreak havoc in countries all over the world, there are certain places on the planet that appear to be more affected than others.

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Global warming in Sápmi -

One of those places is Sápmi, a traditionally snowy region of the Arctic that comprises areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

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Statistics -

Global warming in Sápmi is particularly bad: in Finnish Sápmi, for example, the average temperature has risen by 2.3°C (36.14°F) since the post-industrial period.

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Impact on way of life -

For the Sámi people, whose livelihoods depend on activities such as reindeer herding and salmon fishing, these changes are profoundly altering their way of life.

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Dwindling traditions -

As the traditional activities and environment of the Sámi people continue to change, essential aspects of their culture are starting to disappear.

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Reindeer herding -

Reindeer herding is an essential component of Sámi culture. In many families it is a way of life that has been passed down through the generations.

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Reindeer owners -

According to one BBC article, there are an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 reindeer owners across Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

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The impact of climate change -

Climate change has made reindeer herding much more difficult in recent years, due to the increased number of rain-on-snow events, often followed by a freezing cold spell.

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No access to food -

This type of event creates hard-packed snow with ice on top and icy layers on the inside. The ice locks away the lichen that the reindeer rely on for food.

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Hungry reindeer -

The reindeer, in turn, are unable to dig through the ice to access the lichen, and their survival becomes much more uncertain.

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Salmon fishing -

Salmon fishing is another important tradition in Sámi culture. Again, in many families it has been around for several generations.

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Depleted stocks -

Fishing for salmon has become more difficult in recent years due to depleted stocks.

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Climate change as a cause -

Thanks to climate change the temperature of the sea water is rising, ocean currents are changing, and the ocean is becoming more acidic.

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Fewer fish in the river -

The combination of these factors has meant that fewer salmon are returning from the ocean to the Teno River, which runs through the Sápmi region.

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Fishing ban -

In fact, the situation has gotten so bad that for the past three years Finland and Norway have banned salmon fishing on the river, in order to protect the stocks.

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The Sámi language -

With climate change altering the traditional activities of the Sámi people, changes to their language are following suit.

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Endangered words -

Indeed, there are certain words related to reindeer herding and fishing that have become endangered simply because the Sámi people do not need to use them any more.

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Example: jiekŋaguolli -

The word jiekŋaguolli, for example, refers to the salmon that appear in the spring, immediately after the ice on the river breaks up.

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Example: jiekŋaguolli -

According to Sámi fisherman Pentti Pieski, there is no need to use that word any more. Even before the fishing ban, the season was considerably shortened.

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Example: jiekŋaguolli -

By the time it started on June 1, 2023, the river already had no ice and there was no opportunity for the fisherman to see any jiekŋaguolli.

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Words for snow -

Climate change is affecting the Sámi language in other ways, too. For example, the vocabulary related to snow has shrunk in the last 20 years.

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Some 300 strong -

Traditionally, the Sámi language had more than 300 words that captured different kinds of snow, as well as snow and ice conditions.

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Shrinking vocabulary -

While some of those words are becoming more common (in particular those related to warmer weather), others are disappearing entirely.

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Example: jassa -

The word jassa, for example, was used to refer to the snow that lingered in the fells or the highlands in the summer.

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Example: jassa -

Nowadays the word is very rarely used, because there are very few places left that even have jassa.

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Place names -

There is another problem, too: with global warming changing the Sápmi landscape, many places simply do not match their traditional Sámi names any more.

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Traditional place names -

In the traditional Sámi languages, most places derive their name from nature, with place names often describing the type of terrain or main vegetation.

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No longer relevant -

As landscapes continue to change thanks to global warming, many places have a name that does not accurately reflect their appearance.

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Going forward -

The survival of the Sámi languages will go hand in hand with the survival of their culture, traditions, and ways of life.

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Saving Sámi culture -

The only way to ensure this happens is to find a way to limit global warming, which continues to disproportionately affect indigenous communities across the globe.

Sources: (BBC) (Environmental Health News) (WWF)

See also: Life in the Taiga—the indigenous peoples and customs of the Arctic circle

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