August 4 The Arctic Circle (Day 312)
We ventured to the Arctic Circle today! We have been to the Arctic Circle in Canada, and above it, twice, both times on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon that crosses into the Northwest Territory. It is a 450 mile trip on a gravel road into the wilderness, across the tundra, with several ferry crossings over wild glacial rivers! Only a few indigenous villages are along the road with limited services. Comparing that to our trip today is comparing a wilderness safari to a walk in the park! Santa Claus Village (the official site where you can ‘cross’ the Arctic Circle) is practically a suburb of Rovaniemi. This part of the Arctic Circle is definitely NOT the tundra! We caught a comfortable tour bus at the train station and rode for about 20 minutes on a paved road through wooded suburban neighborhoods to the complex of buildings and large paved courtyard that constitutes Santa Claus’ Hometown!
The red towers across the pavilion mark the ‘official Arctic Circle crossing’!
Across!
At the edge of the plaza is the Roosevelt Cottage, built in 1950 for a visit by Eleanor Roosevelt, Chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Rovaniemi had been virtually destroyed by German occupation during WWII and Roosevelt was instrumental in getting aid distributed to devastated communities such as Rovaniemi. At the time it was the only structure at the Arctic Circle crossing and it became a tourist destination over the years.
At the Village Post Office you can mail postcards from the Arctic Circle, and even letters from Santa Claus, to be delivered at Christmas!
The northern latitudes of Finland, Sweden and Norway, as well as Arctic areas of Russia are also known as Lapland, the home of the Sami people. Walking around the ‘Village’, we came upon some cultural architecture, buildings synonymous with the Sami culture, the indigenous people of the Scandinavian/Russian Arctic. A short Youtube video about the Sami is Here. The Sami were nomadic hunter-gatherers who herded wild reindeer who now live more modern lives. Their connection with the land, reindeer herding and arctic lifestyle are still very important parts of their lives and they have organized to fight for their rights as indigenous people, having experienced the same discrimination, forced assimilation and loss of territory as other indigenous peoples around the world.
Mosquito shelters were built mainly for the semi-wild reindeer that the Sami herd.
This shelter had a smokey fire burning, there were several others around the Village, perhaps to ward off the mosquitos!
The reindeer herders cabins would be built along the routes which the Sami used.
The tipi (which the Sami name ‘tapi’) is a temporary shelter used while they were on the move. Most Sami have always lived in more permanent housing. Food cache buildings were built on stilts or tree trunks to protect and store food.
We caught the bus back into town and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and then an evening stroll around the lake.