Reindeer Herders’ annual General Meeting – “Reindeer Parliament”

The Reindeer parliament is the annual General meeting of the Reindeer Herders’ Association. In the meeting, decisions are made by the reindeer herding cooperatives that are represented by their chiefs. The power is divided in relation to the amount of reindeer in each cooperative.

The first Reindeer parliament was organised in 1948. Nowadays, it is a two-day event and the highlight of the year. It is traditionally held in the first Monday and Tuesday of June in Rovaniemi. Parliament gathers together around 350-450 participants. They are both reindeer herders, but also officials from the government organisations, researchers, politicians and others interested in reindeer herding.

The program of the first day includes greetings from the government organisations and lectures from specialists. The theme is related to something topical. The speeches are published in Reindeer herder –magazine. The second day focuses on the finances and operational reports of Reindeer Herders’ Association and approving them.