A thunderous roar cuts through the quiet skies over the boreal forest in northern Finland. It is not the wind or a storm, but the thunder of fighter jets \u2014 a regular occurrence now in the remote lands of Rovajarvi. Located roughly 100 kilometers from the Russian border, Rovajarvi has become a focal point for military training exercises since Finland\u2019s accession to NATO in 2023. But this strategic pivot is taking a toll on a centuries-old way of life: reindeer herding.<\/strong><\/p>\nKyosti Uutela, a lifelong reindeer herder and head of the local husbandry district, surveys the landscape with quiet dismay. \u201cMilitary activity has increased massively here since Finland joined NATO,\u201d he says, standing atop a cleared hill where trenches have been dug and the forest razed for military maneuvers. This is Rovajarvi \u2014 the largest artillery training range in Western Europe, sprawling across 1,070 square kilometers. It\u2019s also home to fragile lichen pastures, vital to the survival of Finland\u2019s 184,000 reindeer.<\/p>\n
Reindeer husbandry is not merely a livelihood but a deeply rooted cultural tradition, especially among the Indigenous Sami people. It also supports more than 4,000 registered herders across 57 districts that span over a third of Finland\u2019s territory. But with NATO drills increasing \u2014 103 military exercises in 2024 alone, up from 89 the previous year \u2014 the balance between national defense and cultural preservation is becoming harder to maintain.<\/p>\n
Since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland has shifted dramatically from a policy of military non-alignment to full NATO membership. The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF), along with NATO allies, see Rovajarvi as a prime location for drills due to its size, topography, and seasonal extremes. In 2024, a defense cooperation agreement with the United States added further momentum to the region\u2019s militarization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security situation has worsened, and training activities have increased accordingly,\u201d the FDF said in a statement, acknowledging that the use of Rovajarvi had intensified. Yet, they emphasized that herders\u2019 needs are \u201ctaken into account,\u201d including efforts to plan around critical herding seasons.<\/p>\n
For herders like Riikka Poropudas, such reassurances fall short. \u201cThe military presence has increased radically. We\u2019re now forced to feed reindeer in fenced areas more often, which is expensive and unnatural,\u201d she said. May, a critical calving season, saw about 6,500 troops from Finland, Sweden, and the UK conduct live-fire exercises \u2014 a source of acute distress for both mother reindeer and their calves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe activities stress the animals, drive them away from calving areas, and reduce birth rates,\u201d Poropudas added. The disruption isn\u2019t merely seasonal. Tanks tear up mossy ground, leaving trails of ecological damage. Lichen, a slow-growing organism and the primary winter food for reindeer, does not easily recover once destroyed. \u201cSome pastures may never regenerate,\u201d warns Uutela.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just a rural dilemma \u2014 it\u2019s a broader conflict between modern geopolitical realities and ancient traditions. Among the most affected are the Sami, Finland\u2019s only Indigenous people. Tuomas Aslak Juuso, acting president of the Sami Parliament in Finland, said the growing militarization of the Arctic region adds to already mounting pressures from climate change and expanding industrial land use.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur model of reindeer herding is based on the freedom of movement and access to natural pastures. Military exercises that damage these areas violate both the spirit and sustainability of our way of life,\u201d Juuso said.<\/p>\n
A particularly damaging military drill took place in Finnish Sapmi in 2023. Juuso recounts how the Sami were not adequately informed beforehand, grazing lands were churned into mud by heavy machinery, and the lichen cover \u2014 essential for the herd\u2019s survival \u2014 was shredded. \u201cThe damage from just one training session can have lasting effects for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Finnish government and military insist that coordination with local communities is ongoing, herders argue that communication is often one-sided. Decisions are made, drills are scheduled, and consultations, if they occur, are afterthoughts rather than proactive dialogues.<\/p>\n
International obligations add another layer of complexity. As a NATO member, Finland must regularly host allied troops and facilitate joint training sessions. The government argues this is necessary to ensure readiness and deterrence amid ongoing tensions with Russia. But on the ground, that means more noise, more vehicles, and more helicopters slicing through the treetops \u2014 and more frightened reindeer scattering far from their traditional trails.<\/p>\n
Experts warn that if current trends continue, reindeer husbandry in some districts may become economically unviable. Supplementary feeding \u2014 now increasingly common \u2014 is not just expensive, but alters the social behavior of reindeer and undermines the ecological balance the system relies on.<\/p>\n
There are also legal implications. Finland is bound by international treaties to uphold Indigenous rights, including the right to preserve traditional livelihoods. Persistent disruption without meaningful compensation or mitigation could violate these commitments, potentially opening the state to international scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Herders and Sami leaders are calling for several immediate actions. First, a more transparent and inclusive planning process, where communities are consulted before \u2014 not after \u2014 training schedules are finalized. Second, the creation of protected zones where no military activity is allowed during critical periods such as calving and migration. And third, compensation for damaged pastureland and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, researchers are tracking long-term impacts. Biologists warn that consistent stress and habitat loss could result in lower birth rates, higher mortality, and altered migratory patterns. Cultural anthropologists caution that once a herding district is abandoned, the social structures around it \u2014 from cooperative herding groups to local knowledge systems \u2014 start to unravel.<\/p>\n
For now, herders like Uutela and Poropudas continue their work, balancing tradition against a backdrop of war games and uncertainty. \u201cWe\u2019re not against national defense,\u201d Uutela said. \u201cBut it shouldn\u2019t come at the cost of erasing our way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Finland deepens its role within NATO, the tensions in Rovajarvi offer a microcosm of broader dilemmas: security versus sustainability, modernity versus tradition, and geopolitics versus grassroots resilience.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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