--GC Wk4 Watch Video: Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys (Reindeer Herders of Finnish Lapland) (84 min.)

"Brothers Aarne and Lasse Aatsinki are cowboys of the Arctic. Quiet but good natured, dare-devilish but humble, rugged but gentle, and exceptionally knowledgeable when it comes to their little slice of wilderness. The brothers, along with their wives and children, live well north of the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, where they are the leaders of a collective of traditional reindeer herders who manage the last group of wild reindeer in all of Finland. Aatsinki follows the family for the span of one year, quietly observing their seasonal routines and the difficulties and joys of a life so closely tied to the land. Though, on the surface, Aatsinki is the story of a single family, its underlying narrative is one of global consequences and connections. Between their uncanny understanding of the landscape and their reindeer on the one hand, and their heavy reliance on snowmobiles and helicopters on the other, the herders have been categorized as beacons of sustainability and demons of environmentalism—in essence, poster children for simplicity and technology alike."

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:

• • • • Continuing our "Real People . . . Real Places . . ." ethnographic profile series, this video relates to following learning objectives/outcomes.
        
        

TASKS:

• • • • The Video presents a fascinating exploration into yet another distinctive world culture, and one that continues to have close ties with Duluth. While watching and getting to know the members of the Aatsinki family, note what traditional things remain and which they keet, and what has changed.
        
        
      • Discover how a major international native group manages to survive in the modern world.
        
        
      • Learn about how the Sami have managed to maintain much of their traditional ways of life, even in the face of rampant globalization.
        
        
      • Write down questions you have as they come up (that is take "fieldnotes" and do "freelisting").
        
        
        • Information on Freelisting
          
          

CRITERIA:

• • • Grading Note: You will receive points for submitting a question for the exam later in week 5 within the Submit Midterm Exam Question Discussion.
      
      
    • And the Midterm Exam Question Pool will contain at least one question on this video.
      
      

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• • • A Note on Videos and Visual Anthropology