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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
3 Apr 2024
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90.9 %
Usually responds within 65 days
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Details
Description
A family with a mum (38), dad (36), Two daughters (11 and 19) and one son (8).
We are sami people, the indiginous people in Norway. We live in the NORTH of Norway, Karasjok.
Mum works as a journalist at the Norwegian Broadcasting, NRK. Dad is a fulltime reindeer herder.
We have 1 dog and our own reindeer heard. In wintertime dad spends much time on the tundra with our reindeer and summertime he has more time with the family at home. But we do spend much time around the reindeer in summertime also.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Teaching
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will learn and experience an unique culture where people lives with and for the reindeers. In wintertime you Get to know the arctic weather which is kinda rough with its up to -40 Degrees.
Our meals are very often made of reindeer meat. That means that we also need to kill and slaughter some of our reindeer. You'll be able to be a part of this work also.
In wintertime we use snowmobiles, summertime we have ATV/UTV to travel to the reindeers, and you will have the possibility to come with us.
Reindeerhusbandry in Norway has had some rough and tough time the last winters. Too much snow and warmer climate makes the snow melt, and it turns into ice. This means that the animals doesn’t find their food under the snow. This is a direct result of the climateschanges. And all the reindeers need to be fed with hay and pellets. We need some extra hands here :)
You will be able to learn the sami and the norwegian language.
Mum and dad are both joikers, wich is the sami way of singing. We sure would learn you how to joik.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We mostly need help with housekeeping, cleaning and organizing, cooking, fence repair, berrypicking. Many opportunities.
Our kids are very much into sports, especially soccer and artpainting. Its a big plus if you have any experiences with coaching kids in these themes. But it is not a requirement.
Dad Also needs some help On the mountains, either to help Him while feeding the reindeers, with mechanical stuff with our vehicles, Housekeeping, carpentry or whatever shows up:)
This years plan for the reindeer herding so far:
des/Jan/Feb/Mar:
Arctic and cold weather (Often between -25 to -35 degrees) **EXTREME**
Dad is on the tundra most of the time. Mum needs help at home. You can see the norther lights almost every night now.
Reindeerhusbandry in Norway has had some rough and tough time the last winters. Too much snow and warmer climate makes the snow melt, and it turns into ice. This means that the animals doesn’t find their food under the snow. This is a direct result of the climateschanges. And all the reindeers need to be fed with hay and pellets. We need some extra hands here :)
April:
THE SUN IS BACK for real, and its the best time to be outside now! the whole family is spending almost every weekend with dad In our cottage:)
Wanna try icefishing with us? Skiing? Or other funny things in the snow?
At the same time its now time for the easterfestival here. Many things to experience; reindeers races, snowcross, joikconcerts etc. google sami easterfestival :)
May:
The climate is getting kinder. Maybe we have +degrees now:)
The reindeers are getting ready to give birth to the calves. We need to be very careful.
If we have a little extra time
Maybe You will be able to try living like our ancestors did, back In the days: in lavvo with bonfire, an amazing experience!
June:
- We start marking the reindeer calves with earmarking. Theese are the cutest animals you will ever see! ❤️
We need help to chase the reindeers to the fence, hold and handle the calves while we mark the ears. NOTE! It will bleed a little, so you have to endure seeing blood.
- We also start to repair the many fences we have. We are staying on the mountains in 1-2 weeks . Still living in a lavvo/tent.
July:
- Still repairing and putting up a new fences.
- Second part of this years earmarking of the reindeer calves. This time we have moved with the reindeer to the biggest mountains we have here. That means that we are surrounded by the most spectacular nature we have here. Google: Livnas Porsanger Norway. Note! You may have to walk up the mountains because We only got one atv. But that will be a wonderfull hikingtrip😊
Also, Say hello to the mosquitos :) NOT dangerous ones :)
August:
- Still repairing and putting up a new fences.
- Now the berries in our fantastic nature are ready to be picked. We pick blueberries, cloudberries and lingonberries, and have a berryparadise just outside the door.
Sept:
- Still repairing and putting up a new fences.
Time to have the reindeer in the fence again, but this time we are on the coast.
Get ready for a little exercise, because the reindeers we are going to handle this time is much bigger then the small calves from last time. We are looking for the ones who can handle long and hard workingdays. Its an advantage if you're in a good shape. We separate reindeers and send them with an animaltransportation trailer to the slaughterhouse. We also slaughter reindeers by hand, and would be happy for your help here. Its an advantage if you have any experience with slaughtering, But not a must. Note!
You have to endure seeing that we kill and slaughter the reindeers.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Norwegian: Fluent
Sami: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
You will be staying and living with us, in our house when we are home, and with us in our place on the mountains with our reindeers. We may have a caravan for the volunteers as their private room.
Most of our meals are with meat (reindeer, pork, chicken+). Dont expect vegetarian food.
What else ...
We have the sami parlament here in town And some other sami tourist attractions. In wintertime the cold and rough weather will give you an experience you wont find other places. In wintertime You will experince the northernlight almost every evening.
Other things we do: drive snowmobiles or atv/utv, go fishing on lakes in the mountains, flyfishing in one of Norways best Salmonrivers Lakselva.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 hours per day (max 25 hours/week)
Feedback (3)
We are so grateful for the chance to get to know her. She is a loving and very easy going person. She is really easy to communicate with and is a dutiful person.
She lived with us about 2 months, and helped us a lot with all kind of jobs, from cooking dinners to reindeer herding.
She had a good vibe and understanding with all… read more
No words exist to describe how wonderful it was to stay with Elle and her family, no words can say how much I love them, neither how many times a day I think about them, neither how grateful I am for all I have been experiencing in… read more
Cande and Gabi were very positive and took all the challenges of work that we had for them. Hjelped us with painting some Walls in our cabin, learned the kids some gymnastics (Cande… read more
Per Inge and Elle are grate people and kids are so nice.
They helped a lot in making dreams true, but not only for the Christmas or the Northern lights or all the awesome nature, also living all this dreams… read more
Feedback
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(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
We are so grateful for the chance to get to know her. She is a loving and very easy going person. She is really easy to communicate with and is a dutiful person.
She lived with us about 2 months, and helped us a lot with all kind of jobs, from cooking dinners to reindeer herding.
She had a good vibe and understanding with all… read more
No words exist to describe how wonderful it was to stay with Elle and her family, no words can say how much I love them, neither how many times a day I think about them, neither how grateful I am for all I have been experiencing in… read more
Cande and Gabi were very positive and took all the challenges of work that we had for them. Hjelped us with painting some Walls in our cabin, learned the kids some gymnastics (Cande… read more
Per Inge and Elle are grate people and kids are so nice.
They helped a lot in making dreams true, but not only for the Christmas or the Northern lights or all the awesome nature, also living all this dreams… read more
She came to a Family who were very sceptical to workaway and volunteers. We had not done this before, so she was our first.
But we could feel the calm energy around her right away, and she just melted in our Family.
She is very easy to communicate With and has an understanding on kids. Our kids fell all in love… read more
I got to learn a lot about Sami… read more
