1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,400 Come on, come on, come on, come on! 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,480 I'm travelling through the Arctic, the Land of the Midnight Sun. 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,440 The most amazing view. 4 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,160 For thousands of years, 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:23,600 only the hardiest hunters and herders 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:23,600 lived in this inhospitable land. 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,160 But now the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth. 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:29,680 Go back, go back. 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:33,560 As it thaws, new riches are being revealed. 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,560 This is what it's all about - the oil. 11 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,440 All eyes are turning north. 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:43,520 For one bright summer, I will live with the people of the Arctic. 13 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,000 Absolutely loving it. 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:47,840 This is the real thing. 15 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,480 I want to understand how their lives are changing 16 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:55,400 and discover what the future holds for this great wilderness. 17 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,480 The last stage of my journey is through the far north of Europe. 18 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,200 It's autumn, 19 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,960 and the people of the Arctic are getting ready for a long, 20 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,960 harsh winter. 21 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:11,600 I travel to Russia, to a remote village 22 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,720 surrounded by the greatest forest on Earth. 23 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:19,160 You really get a sense that you're in something very, very special. 24 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:21,640 I join the Sami, 25 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,040 some of Europe's last indigenous people, on their annual reindeer roundup. 26 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:31,480 Bruce made a very good job. He knew what he was doing. 27 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,040 They're 21st-century herders. 28 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,680 But does anything remain of their ancient way of life? 29 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:42,040 As the long night of winter draws in, 30 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:47,520 I travel to Svalbard, to the most northerly settlement on Earth. 31 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,880 And I'm hoping that some of the questions I've had in my mind 32 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,640 throughout the whole of my journey might finally get answered. 33 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,680 I'm in north-west Russia, 34 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:19,680 just south of the Arctic Circle, 35 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,880 heading deep into one of the largest ecosystems on the planet. 36 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,760 It's the boreal forest, which stretches right around 37 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:29,280 the northern hemisphere. 38 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,560 A third of all of the trees on Earth 39 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:40,040 are found in the vast evergreen forest that encircles the top of our world. 40 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,720 I'm travelling to a remote part of this great forest, 41 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,680 to the village of Nyukhcha in European Russia. 42 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,480 And on this final leg of my Arctic journey, 43 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,160 I'll be passing through northern Norway 44 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,040 on my way to Svalbard, in the High Arctic. 45 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,520 This is very different to Siberia, where I herded reindeer 46 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,400 under the midsummer sun. 47 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,720 The people here are forest people. 48 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,160 Their psyche and culture are rooted in these woods. 49 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,480 TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS 50 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,840 But post-Soviet Russia is going through many changes. 51 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,000 Have traditional ways of life 52 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,000 been affected? 53 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:26,440 And are attitudes towards the forest 54 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:26,440 changing? 55 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,640 Just been eight hours on a train 56 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:31,320 and I've got a few more hours to do in this vehicle, 57 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,520 and all I've seen the whole journey is forest. 58 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,640 I'm heading to a remote village far from any other settlements, 59 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,440 not the kind of place you want to break down. 60 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:43,960 BANG, TYRES SCREECH 61 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,160 I really felt this tyre go when it went. 62 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,280 Proper pop, and we skidded a little bit. 63 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,800 And it's beginning to snow. Love it. 64 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,640 This is the first snow I've seen for months. 65 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,560 It really feels like winter is almost here. 66 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,440 Yeah, this is us? Fantastic! 67 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:11,080 Finally, we arrive in the village 68 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:11,080 of Nyukhcha, my home for the next 69 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:11,080 week. 70 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,320 Cool, man. 71 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,880 My lodgings are basic but surprisingly cosy. 72 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:17,160 Perfect. 73 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:29,360 600 or so people live in Nyukhcha. 74 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,360 I want to find out how important the forest is to the villagers, 75 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,520 so I'm going to spend the day with Katya, who knows it intimately. 76 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,120 She's known as the person who's out walking the furthest. 77 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,880 She's always seen at the far ends of the forest, 78 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,480 out on her own, just collecting stuff. And it's a real treat today, 79 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,080 cos she's taking me out on one of her excursions. 80 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:57,000 And I've no idea what we're going to find, but I know it's going to be an adventure! 81 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,360 TRANSLATION: 82 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:08,160 With winter drawing near, 83 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,800 the berries and mushrooms 84 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,800 are almost finished. 85 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,880 But 62-year-old Katya is the village's most determined forager. 86 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,480 Katya was recently widowed, 87 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,320 and her children 88 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,320 have long since left the village. 89 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,280 She says the forest 90 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,280 is like a friend to her, 91 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:42,080 and she knows all of its secret places. 92 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:48,720 OK. 93 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,320 Fly agaric mushrooms, with their red caps and white spots, 94 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,160 are the quintessential toadstool. 95 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,080 They're found throughout northern forests 96 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,480 and feature in the folklore of many northern cultures too. 97 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,440 Something's been eating it. 98 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:18,720 Fly agaric are toxic to humans, so Katya never eats them. 99 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,920 If we can't eat them, what are you collecting it for? 100 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,920 Katya wants to make a bottle of fly agaric ointment, 101 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:47,880 so we scour the forest, looking for the telltale flash of red against green. 102 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:51,280 Oh, beautiful! 103 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,000 Fairies just sitting on... 104 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,000 So pretty. 105 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,560 When we've got plenty of mushrooms for Katya's remedy, we head for home. 106 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:04,600 OK. 107 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,520 Katya, rarely have I seen 108 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,280 such a potent array of mushrooms in my life. 109 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,120 We're going to chop these up and put them in a bottle. 110 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,960 When they've broken down, they'll form an ointment, which Katya says 111 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:34,960 helps cure colds and rheumatism. 112 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,320 HISSING 113 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,120 That's a proper brew! 114 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:54,920 OK. 115 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,080 Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, 116 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,520 the state no longer provides full health care, 117 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,840 and so more and more people are returning to traditional cures. 118 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,400 Katya only uses fly agaric on her skin, 119 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,040 but her sister makes them into a potion. 120 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:23,360 You said you use it on your hands, and your sister was taking drops of it. 121 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,240 What was she taking drops for? 122 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,400 By taking fly agaric in this way, 123 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,680 Katya claims her sister cured herself of cancer. 124 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:42,920 This may seem hard to believe, 125 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,880 but one thing is for sure - fly agaric is a potent fungi. 126 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,120 And there was a time when we in Britain 127 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,920 may have been just as familiar with its healing properties. 128 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,760 I sometimes wonder what... 129 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:03,160 our ancient ancestral knowledge is, of such strong plants and fungi. 130 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:09,000 But we'll never know, because anyone that had knowledge such as this 131 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:13,160 was pretty much burnt at the stake or... 132 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,760 drowned on ducking stools at the advent of Christianity. 133 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:31,360 Russians have long believed forests like this to be places of magic. 134 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,920 As well as a spiritual significance, 135 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,920 Katya and many other villagers depend on it for their survival. 136 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,680 But the forest is under threat. 137 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:46,040 In recent years, summers have been very dry, then very wet. 138 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:51,120 And warmer winters have led to an increase in pests and diseases. 139 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:56,240 Millions of trees are dying every year throughout the northern forest. 140 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:06,920 Trying to keep this woodland healthy is forest warden Alexei Ivanovitch. 141 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,720 I'm going to help Alexei and his team 142 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,720 clear an area of dead trees, 143 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,120 so I've been kitted out Russian lumberjack-style. 144 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,280 Look at that - gloves and everything. 145 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:38,440 Thank you so much. I feel the part now. Check this out. 146 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:03,000 The easiest way to remove dead trees 147 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:03,000 is to get the villagers 148 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:04,720 to take them away as firewood. 149 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,040 OK. 150 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:26,360 Like almost all forest in Russia, this woodland is state owned. 151 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:31,760 If the villagers take more than their quota, they face stiff 152 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:31,760 penalties. 153 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:33,520 There's... 154 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,960 very strict regulations here... 155 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:39,360 LAUGHS 156 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,200 Thank you. 157 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:46,920 I'll start again! 158 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:49,400 There's... 159 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,960 ..very strict regulations here. If you... 160 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,840 ..if you get caught chopping a tree 161 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:04,040 that's not allowed, you get three to five years' imprisonment. 162 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:10,320 After paying a fee, a villager will come and cut these marked trees for firewood. 163 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:14,160 But Alexei wants to clear all the deadwood before winter, 164 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:15,880 so we're going to make a start today. 165 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:26,200 The branches must be burnt, as they're infested with the spruce bark beetle, 166 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,080 a parasite that's killing trees from Alaska to Siberia. 167 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:42,720 In the past, spruce bark beetles were kept in check by harsh winters. 168 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,560 A few days below minus 40 were enough to kill them off. 169 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:51,320 But one mild winter, and the parasites survive and multiply. 170 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:59,520 The temperature is falling every day, 171 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,520 and the first frosts are beginning to bite. 172 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,480 The villagers are preparing 173 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,480 for a long winter, 174 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,080 and Katya wants to insulate her bathroom 175 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:14,400 with moss she's gathered from the forest. 176 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,200 One thing I've noticed that... 177 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,040 everyone's really good at here... is insulating. 178 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:32,840 With just a few logs in a wood-burning stove, 179 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:37,360 they keep their house warm all night, 180 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:37,360 and when I say warm, I mean really warm. 181 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,440 I've just used a sheet most nights, 182 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,400 and it's been just about freezing outside, 183 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:48,640 and when you consider what the insulation is, it's really quite an amazing feat. 184 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,640 Where? All along here? 185 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,560 In there first. 186 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:54,320 OK, I'll use the fat one. 187 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,960 In just a few weeks, temperatures here will plummet and will stay below freezing 188 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:02,760 for up to six months, 189 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,240 so a good supply of firewood is essential for survival. 190 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,000 What are the winters like here - how cold does it get? 191 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,720 You say that the winters may be getting warmer. 192 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:29,760 Is this a good thing, do you reckon, or... 193 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,720 does it make little difference to you? 194 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,680 Tell me, you have to pay for your firewood - 195 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,800 is it expensive, even though it's so close? 196 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,680 With more than a third of her income 197 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,680 going on firewood, 198 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:02,840 Katya is left with around £3.50 a day to live on. 199 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:06,800 Her skill as a gatherer means she can just about get by. 200 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:11,240 But she says things are much harder now than they were in the past. 201 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:51,160 Russia is now a market economy, and everyone has to fend for 202 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:51,160 themselves. 203 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:55,760 Gathering in the forest is now more about competition than collaboration. 204 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,760 But for some of the older generation, 205 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:02,040 the communist ideals live on, and are worthy of celebration. 206 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:03,760 MUSIC PLAYS 207 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,480 THEY SING 208 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,200 This a festival to pay homage to the old people of the village 209 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,560 and to say thank you for their sacrifices over the years. 210 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,240 THEY SING 211 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,680 Katya says she's got nothing fine to wear 212 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,800 so has decided not to join the festivities. 213 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:07,800 This being Russia, a celebration wouldn't be complete without vodka. 214 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,760 BRUCE LAUGHS 215 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,680 Oh, go on, then, just a little bit. 216 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:22,520 It's ten in the morning, 217 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:30,240 and this...very sprightly lady opposite me is pouring out vodka for all of us. 218 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,880 I can see the way the day is going to go! 219 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,640 Most of these peoples' lives were spent under the Soviet regime, 220 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,160 and many believe things 221 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,160 were better back then. 222 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,400 And now what are most people doing here? 223 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,840 Market forces have shifted jobs 224 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,840 elsewhere, 225 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,920 and the young have followed them, leaving the old behind. 226 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,120 This may be the twilight of their years, 227 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,400 but the villagers still know how to have a good time. 228 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,320 I've got such big boots on, I do apologise. 229 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,960 I'm stepping on toes left, right and centre. I'm so sorry! 230 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,920 I'm enjoying my time in Nyukhcha, but there's a melancholy feeling 231 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,920 here. 232 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,680 Up to a third of the houses 233 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,680 are abandoned, 234 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,920 and every year, there are fewer children in the school. 235 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,160 The situation here is typical of the Russian countryside, 236 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,440 where the old outnumber the young. 237 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:34,480 Thousands of villages, the soul and heart of Russia, 238 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,280 are slowly but surely fading away. 239 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,360 As villagers leave the countryside, loggers are moving in. 240 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:59,880 Forest warden Alexei leases plots 241 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:59,880 to private timber companies. 242 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:02,360 Once the trees have been cut, 243 00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:05,560 Alexei ensures that the company replants the area. 244 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,680 At the moment, he says only a small number of plots are cleared each 245 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,680 year, 246 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,760 so the forest has plenty of time to regenerate. 247 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,960 I know, in some parts of Russia, there's lots of illegal logging. 248 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:19,880 Do you think that's a problem in your province? 249 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:47,480 It's estimated that around a quarter 250 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:47,480 of the wood harvested 251 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,280 in north-west Russia is illegal, 252 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,200 much of it ending up in European paper mills. 253 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,600 At the same time, thousands of forest inspectors 254 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:02,000 like Alexei have been laid off, leaving huge areas open to abuse. 255 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,720 But for now, Alexei's supervision 256 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,720 and these poor roads 257 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,560 might just be enough to protect it. 258 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,520 This area was logged and replanted 20 years ago. 259 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:19,680 Alexei made sure his favourite tree, 260 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:19,680 the Siberian cedar, was sown 261 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,120 amongst the birch and the pine. 262 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:34,040 Alexei doesn't just love cedar trees - he confides in them. 263 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:57,280 You're like the policeman for the forest, Alexei. 264 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,240 What do people think when you say that you talk to trees? 265 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,360 When we stop off on the way home to cook some food, 266 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:19,240 Alexei opens up about his past and explains 267 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,080 why he has such an unusual relationship with this forest. 268 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,960 Most people that I've met in the community 269 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:28,960 haven't travelled very far, 270 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:33,040 but you...you've been many places. Tell me about where you've been. 271 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,800 - Vietnam. - Vietnam? 272 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,600 Kampuchea. 273 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,520 Kampuchea - Cambodia, really? Wow. 274 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:52,240 In his youth, Alexei was drafted into the Russian intelligence service - 275 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:52,240 the KGB - 276 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,200 and saw active service overseas. 277 00:22:55,200 --> 00:23:00,760 What he witnessed and what he did have left deep emotional scars. 278 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,280 When he left the service, he returned home to this area 279 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,320 and sought solace amongst the trees. 280 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,600 And did the forest help? Did the forest help you get through it? 281 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,080 It's time for me to continue 282 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,080 my journey through Arctic Europe. 283 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,480 I've seen how important 284 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,480 the forest is to the people here, 285 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,800 on so many levels. 286 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:10,320 I just hope this intimate relationship is not lost 287 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,440 as Russia continues the rapid, often lawless exploitation 288 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,040 of its natural resources. 289 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:20,720 I'm heading north into Norway. 290 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:25,640 Over the last six months, I've visited many remote communities 291 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,040 where a close connection to nature 292 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,040 is still a part of everyday life. 293 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,440 But northern Norway is a very developed part of the Arctic. 294 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,920 I want to find out if any of the old ways have survived 295 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,280 in this most modern of landscapes. 296 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,760 So I've come to live with the Oskal clan. They're Sami - 297 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:48,080 reindeer herders and one of Europe's last indigenous peoples. 298 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,840 When we are working together with reindeer, 299 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,440 we get very good connections with... with us. 300 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:55,480 BRUCE: With your family... 301 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,280 With our family and cousins. And friends who work with you? 302 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,360 Yeah, we are all three cousins. OK. 303 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,040 We are like friends and, er, working together. 304 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,280 Family. Family. 305 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:08,840 The Sami are the original inhabitants of this region. 306 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,680 Once nomads, they followed great herds of reindeer 307 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,920 on their seasonal migrations. 308 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,280 But more and more people are moving into Arctic Europe. 309 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,880 The Sami way of life is under pressure, 310 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,800 nowhere more so than in the mountains around the city of Tromso. 311 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:29,320 I've come here to take part in the Oskal family's autumn reindeer roundup. 312 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:30,360 I've caught a glimpse 313 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:35,000 of a couple of deer on the horizon. It's going to be so interesting 314 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:40,400 to be right in amongst them and see the differences in 315 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:40,400 the methods of herding. 316 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:47,040 Johan Isak's ancestors have lived here for as long as 10,000 years, 317 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:50,360 but in his modern clothes, he looks like any other Norwegian. 318 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:54,600 What's life like for a 21st-century Sami? 319 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,960 The plan today, to have the reindeer over there. 320 00:25:57,960 --> 00:25:59,640 We want to get the reindeer over there? 321 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,120 Over there. 322 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:04,840 OK, and where are they now? Just around the corner? They are all in this place. 323 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:05,960 OK, a bit foggy. 324 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:07,400 Foggy. OK. 325 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,600 The Sami tend their herd all year round, 326 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,920 but autumn is the busiest season. 327 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:17,800 It's a race against time to move the reindeer to their winter pastures. 328 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,840 After a brisk hike to the top of the hill, 329 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,120 we glimpse a small herd of 100 deer through the mist. 330 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:29,120 (That's it.) 331 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:33,200 (My first spotting of reindeer for a few months.) 332 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,480 (I've kind of missed them.) 333 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,120 REINDEER GRUNT 334 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:39,720 (They're so pretty.) 335 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:47,720 HE SHOUTS AT REINDEER 336 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:53,080 SHOUTS CONTINUE 337 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,320 We've got to try and get them to go that way. 338 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:03,320 Beautiful as they are, they're wilful creatures too 339 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,520 and, er, 340 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,520 they need a little bit of persuasion. 341 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:07,880 WHOOPING 342 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,000 WHOOPS AND SHOUTS 343 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,440 The job is done, and the reindeer 344 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,920 have been moved down slope towards the family's corral. 345 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:23,520 This is just one of many 346 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:23,520 small herds that must be gathered 347 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,480 before the migration, so we have a busy week ahead of us. 348 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,160 These mountains are full of dangers for the reindeer. 349 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,240 What do you think got these? Is this one or two? 350 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,040 Two. OK, that's another head, yeah? 351 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,360 Yeah. I think, um... 352 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:43,440 Difficult to say, 353 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,480 but when it was so close, I think this could be a predator's work. 354 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,920 Because there's two animals together? 355 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,920 Yeah. 356 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,840 Sure. And which predator do you think it might be? 357 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,760 I think it's hard to say, but...maybe lynx. 358 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,800 The Sami sell reindeer for meat at this time of year, 359 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,360 so predators can seriously affect their livelihood. 360 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,120 And do you mind if I ask, um, 361 00:28:08,120 --> 00:28:10,560 how much money a grown deer represents? 362 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:16,080 It's hard to say, but, um, maybe 10,000 kroner. 363 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,240 10,000 kroner? That's £1,000... 364 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:20,280 Yeah. Sterling. 365 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,360 It could be more than just £1,000. 366 00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:27,920 If this was a young female, getting ten calves, 367 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,400 so it could be more. 368 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,600 Though reindeer herding is now also a business, 369 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,080 these hills are wild and untamed, 370 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:41,600 and Johan Isak faces the same natural pressures his ancestors did. 371 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:47,520 Snow blows in off the Arctic Ocean, shrouding the mountains with mist. 372 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,000 Good visibility is essential to find reindeer, 373 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,720 so, for now, herding is on hold. 374 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:56,400 But there's plenty of work to do getting the corral ready. 375 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,160 You're a strong man! No, I was just a bit over-eager. 376 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,560 I...I didn't realise you could do one at a time! 377 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:04,880 LAUGHTER 378 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:09,520 I'm working with Danel, one of Johan Isak's many cousins. 379 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,160 Sami reindeer are almost wild 380 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,200 and are wary of humans and their structures. 381 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:22,800 To get them into this fenced area, the family have a secret weapon - 382 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:26,240 a nine-year-old stag with an illustrious name. 383 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,880 Elvis is so tame. 384 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,600 Almost like family. 385 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,600 THEY CHUCKLE 386 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,200 You see, it's a bell on this reindeer. 387 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,520 When we are gathering the herd, 388 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:43,480 it's a little tricky to get the reindeer coming down here and into the fence. 389 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,880 But if the herd hears the bell, they say like, 390 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,880 "Ah, there's Elvis. Elvis." 391 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,240 So they also go. Oh, Elvis, 392 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:58,000 you serve such an important job, man. He's very cool. 393 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,360 Elvis is the reindeer equivalent of the Pied Piper, 394 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,360 leading the herd into this most unnatural of environments. 395 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,240 The Oskal clan have about 2,500 reindeer, 396 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,880 spread out over a huge area. 397 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,760 That's too many to gather on foot, but the snow means they can now 398 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,600 switch to their favourite form of transport. 399 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:29,000 This is what we're here for, 400 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,960 out in the snow, looking for reindeer. 401 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,600 We've got two days to get them all together... 402 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,240 ..and it's really exciting. 403 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,360 Danel and his cousins are skilful and fearless on their snow machines. 404 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,520 Sami boys start riding them 405 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,520 as young as ten years old, 406 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:54,080 when they're considered strong enough 407 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:54,080 to get themselves out of trouble. 408 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:55,880 CHUCKLES 409 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,360 He's quite a driver, and he's got balls of steel 410 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,720 and a pretty good engine. 411 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:03,760 I'm having a very nice day out. 412 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,440 We've found a fair few deer, at last. 413 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,160 There's a couple of hundred down there 414 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,080 and a couple of hundred more over there, probably. 415 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:31,200 The plan is to get the reindeer all in a big group. 416 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,360 We cannot fail. 417 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:35,120 We're hopeful. We are hopeful. 418 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,920 CHUCKLES 419 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,920 We are hopeful. 420 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:40,920 Well, Johan Isak is the most positive person 421 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,600 I've ever met in my life, it's brilliant. 422 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:49,480 Reindeer herding is ruled by the ever-changing seasons, and the Sami 423 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:53,040 have developed a philosophical, laid-back approach to life. 424 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:56,240 They just seem to shrug off stress. 425 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,440 We push the reindeer downhill, moving them closer 426 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,840 to the corral where the whole herd will be gathered before the migration. 427 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:14,480 WHOOPS 428 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,640 WHOOPING CONTINUES 429 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:21,920 With many streams to cross, 430 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,920 it's hard-going on men and machine. 431 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,680 REINDEER BARK AND GRUNT 432 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,600 The weather's turning now, 433 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,880 and the night's coming, so we're going to head back down the mountain 434 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,400 and hopefully have another day like today, tomorrow. 435 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,480 The next morning, 436 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,440 the weather's worse than ever, so no-one can go up into the mountains. 437 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:01,320 I'm invited to meet Berit Oskal, the oldest member of the family, 438 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,720 and grandmother 439 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,720 to Johan Isak and his cousins. 440 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,680 She lives in a typically Norwegian house, 441 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,000 but her attire is distinctly Sami. 442 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,720 How do you see the reindeer herding now 443 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,000 with your people, compared to when you were younger? 444 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:16,800 TRANSLATION: 445 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,760 Because they now have 446 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,760 snow machines and other vehicles, 447 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,880 the Sami no longer have to live 448 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,880 so close to their herds. 449 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,800 But though 450 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,800 they've settled in modern houses, 451 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,320 their culture is still very much alive. 452 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:55,600 We head back to the corral to wait for the weather to improve. 453 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,080 Another important member of the Oskal clan 454 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,680 needs to be kept in good condition for his big day. 455 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:02,880 BELL CLANGS 456 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:06,640 Here you go, here's that stuff you love. 457 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:15,880 Having lost a day to bad weather, the Oskal men are behind schedule. 458 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:21,560 Marshalling operations is Danel's older brother, Johan Anders. 459 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:26,360 We have to hope... hope for better...weather. 460 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:30,320 You see it's heavy weather, snow. 461 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,160 We have to...to cross our fingers. 462 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:34,440 CHUCKLES 463 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:38,280 Finally, the weather starts to clear. 464 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:43,000 The pressure is on, and everyone is expected to help out. 465 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,960 We've got to get all of the deer together, 466 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,760 so much so that they've given me a machine, and I'm involved as well. 467 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:57,720 So...so it's all to play for today, it's so important. 468 00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:04,560 It's tough going at this time of year, 469 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:08,000 when the fresh snow is uncompacted, and I take many a tumble. 470 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:10,360 GROANS 471 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,240 Look at my binoculars. Do you think maybe I've had a crash? 472 00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:18,760 LAUGHTER 473 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:20,240 Now I know why you don't see anything. 474 00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:23,040 Yeah, exactly. I can't follow the deer, 475 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,120 and we know why - I'm always bloody crashing. 476 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:38,000 For the next few hours, we push small groups of reindeer down the valley, 477 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,960 until they form one big herd, 478 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,960 many hundred strong, 479 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:43,640 on the ridge overlooking the corral. 480 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,320 WHOOPING 481 00:36:07,720 --> 00:36:10,840 I am knackered. My arms are pumped. 482 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:15,280 It just goes to show the skill that these guys have got. 483 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,240 I thought it was tough enough just sitting on the back 484 00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:22,880 these last few days, but doing it yourself is so, so much harder. 485 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:30,320 When the reindeer are gathered, it's Elvis's big moment. 486 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:33,440 Johan Isak leads him to where the herd can see him. 487 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:36,400 But Elvis doesn't have to do all of the work. 488 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:41,040 The Oskal clan has discovered a very modern way of moving the reindeer. 489 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:47,960 SIREN WAILS 490 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:54,760 SIREN WAILS 491 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,120 It's the most incongruous thing I've ever seen in my life. 492 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:27,520 All these wild animals, essentially being herded 493 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:29,880 by this noisy, bleeping helicopter, 494 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:33,240 and we've got to get them down off this hill 495 00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:35,760 into where there's houses and streetlights, 496 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,600 and crossing a busy road, a main road, and then into the pen. 497 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,000 It's almost an impossible task. 498 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:46,200 That's why means like the helicopter have been brought into play. 499 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:48,360 SIREN WAILS AND BEEPS 500 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:58,160 There's no way we could drive a snow 501 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:58,160 machine down this steep, 502 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:58,160 forested slope, 503 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:02,360 so the best way to herd 504 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:02,360 is from the air and on foot. 505 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:12,480 REINDEER BELL JANGLES 506 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,080 Unbelievable! 507 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,520 After all this time, finally, 508 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:31,840 we got them in. 509 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:36,280 We got them in - a lot of work, a big, team, family effort, 510 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,720 a bloody noisy helicopter, 511 00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:40,560 but the deer are in the pens. 512 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,680 Ah, what a relief. 513 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,280 Bruce made a very good job. 514 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,320 I liked the job he did, and it was like 515 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:55,000 he knew what he was doing. 516 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:55,000 CHUCKLES 517 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,400 It was good to get them into pens. 518 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:00,120 It was a relief, yeah. 519 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:04,280 And they crossed the road more easily than I thought. 520 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:07,560 Yeah, you know, with Elvis, it goes very well. 521 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:11,000 I've become fond of Elvis from feeding him this last week. 522 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,360 Elvis is a good reindeer. 523 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:16,520 Yeah, he's got a big part to play, I think. 524 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:18,600 Tomorrow, the reindeer will be counted and marked 525 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,040 before being moved to their winter pastures. 526 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:35,760 Each individual reindeer is owned 527 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:35,760 by a certain member of the Oskal 528 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:35,760 family. 529 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:41,120 The new calves that have made it through the summer need to be given 530 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:46,680 their owner's special ear mark. But first, we've got to catch them. 531 00:39:49,720 --> 00:39:52,640 The hardest thing is identifying them, and the second-hardest thing 532 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,360 is identifying them in time 533 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:56,840 to be able to position yourself to get a shot. 534 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:58,560 But good fun trying. 535 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:27,920 So the first lesson in lassoing 536 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:27,920 is to try and get the right one. 537 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:33,240 And if you miss the right one, try not to get a big, strong one. 538 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:42,320 The whole clan is here to help out - 539 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,600 even the youngest members. 540 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:46,920 Reindeer herding is all about the family, 541 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,440 and bonds are reinforced on days like today. 542 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:01,760 You like it? 543 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:02,800 I loved it. Mm. 544 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,760 Yeah, it's really... it's really exhilarating. 545 00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:08,160 Fantastic! Oh, thank you, my friend. 546 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:10,360 Very good. First one. I'll try again. 547 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:22,320 There's been a lot of stresses 548 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:26,800 and potential stresses in my time here this last week. 549 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:29,000 And every one of them, they've just... 550 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:34,040 Whatever comes their way, they deal with in an amazingly calm, stress-free way. 551 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:35,920 Still, at the moment at least, 552 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:40,000 that old cultural style of dealing with it 553 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:44,000 in a laid-back, philosophical way is strong. 554 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,960 MURMUR OF VOICES 555 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:52,240 Once caught, easily identifiable patterns are quickly and skilfully 556 00:41:52,240 --> 00:41:54,800 cut into the calf's ear. 557 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,600 Now it's time for the Sami to decide 558 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,600 what to do with their animals. 559 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:02,400 Should they keep them as breeding stock 560 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:04,560 or should they sell them for meat? 561 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:08,040 They need to know their animals intimately to make the right call. 562 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:09,800 We just check now first. 563 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:12,080 See what it is. Male or female? 564 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,120 A female. This is a female, but this is so... 565 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:17,400 It's not so good calf. 566 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,600 I don't think it will survive the winter, 567 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:21,360 so I take it to the slaughterhouse. OK. 568 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:24,640 Yeah. And the slaughtering is here. 569 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:25,920 Oh, in there? Yeah. 570 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:27,520 And this is one of yours? 571 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:29,200 This is one of mine. 572 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:32,640 This calf was small. Yeah. 573 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:35,360 I think it can have problem in the hard winter. 574 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:36,840 Sure. So I sell this. 575 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:37,880 OK. 576 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:40,840 The cash Johan Isak will get from his slaughtered reindeer 577 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:43,920 is his main income for the year. 578 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:46,600 But the Sami are by no means wealthy. 579 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:49,680 Money is always tight, and rising fuel prices 580 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:53,960 and other costs are forcing many herders to give up altogether. 581 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:58,280 The Oskal clan has the added pressure 582 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:58,280 of being so close to Tromso. 583 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:00,240 The city is expanding fast, 584 00:43:00,240 --> 00:43:02,960 and the family is being forced to move its corral 585 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:04,960 to make way for new developments. 586 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:09,880 They are now making like an, what do you call, harbour, in this area. 587 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:14,880 Big harbour. And they want us to move 588 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:19,320 to a new area further north, away from the town. 589 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:20,600 If it continues to be 590 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:23,920 that you're pushed and squeezed more and more, 591 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:27,320 what's at stake? You know, the reindeers 592 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:33,440 have to have lots of space... lots of space to find their food. 593 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:37,560 And I'm very anxious for the future. 594 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:43,200 The Sami are in a continuous battle for their land and for their rights. 595 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:47,360 But they have had many victories in the past, winning political 596 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:47,360 autonomy 597 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:49,400 and protection of their language. 598 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:53,160 The source of their strength is their herding way of life. 599 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:57,840 If this goes, they will lose the cornerstone of their culture. 600 00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:00,880 MAN SHOUTS ORDERS 601 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:05,480 It's late into the night now. 602 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:09,080 Hopefully, there's just one more lot to bring in, 603 00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:12,200 and then that will be this day's work done. 604 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:21,960 The reindeer that are not going to slaughter must now 605 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,520 be moved to the winter pastures. 606 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:27,800 These are in a more sheltered area 40 miles or so to the south. 607 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:31,160 In the past, the reindeer would have migrated over land. 608 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:36,240 But this way is now blocked by 609 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:36,240 houses and roads, and the Oskal family 610 00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:39,760 has been forced to use 611 00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:39,760 an alternative form of transport. 612 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:42,400 It's all worked out just perfectly, 613 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:46,000 and now is the beginning of the winter season for these guys. 614 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,640 They load up the boat and off to new pastures. 615 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:00,280 OK, this is it. Last little push. 616 00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:02,960 Try and persuade these deer 617 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:06,520 onto the most unlikely of things - a big, metal boat. 618 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:10,160 The only way we're going to do it is usher them with this. 619 00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:13,640 MAN SHOUTS ORDERS 620 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:03,840 With all the reindeer safely on board, it's time to set off 621 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:08,440 on this most unnatural of migrations. SHIP'S HORN BLARES 622 00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:12,480 The boat is heavily subsidised by the Norwegian government 623 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:16,200 in recognition of the encroachment on the family's overland route. 624 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:21,160 In order for these animals to get to where they need to be for the 625 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:21,160 winter, 626 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:25,040 which is essential for their safety, for them to be able to survive the 627 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:25,040 winter, 628 00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:27,800 they now have to be transported. 629 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:30,600 And the Sami would rather do this 630 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:33,800 than give up their tradition of herding reindeer. 631 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:38,520 So it's a necessary evil in the life cycle of these deer. 632 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:43,120 In the past, the reindeer would have 633 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:43,120 set the pace for the migration, 634 00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:45,800 moving only when they were ready. 635 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:48,840 But the boat's departure date is fixed, so now the Sami 636 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:51,760 have to deal with that most modern of things, 637 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:56,000 a deadline, and all the pressures that it brings. 638 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:02,560 It's not long before we're approaching the family's winter lands. 639 00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:06,480 These are further from the coast than the summer pastures 640 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:10,560 and more protected from the worst of the Arctic winter. 641 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:13,560 How are you feeling now you know the deer are about to leave? 642 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:15,560 I feel good. All safe? 643 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:21,480 Yeah, all safe, and I hope it will be a good winter this year. 644 00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:34,960 What a wonderful sight. 645 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:41,720 So nice to see them off again, free, no pens, back into the wild. 646 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:50,480 The Oskal clan is having to adapt to the challenges of the modern 647 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:50,480 world. 648 00:47:50,480 --> 00:47:52,920 But their sense of identity is strong, 649 00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:57,880 and the way they have blended the old with the new is inspiring. 650 00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:01,160 But they still have many struggles ahead of them. 651 00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:03,800 TRANSLATION: 652 00:48:24,720 --> 00:48:29,520 It's heartening that the Sami are able to maintain their herding lifestyle 653 00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:32,480 in such a crowded part of the Arctic. 654 00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:38,640 But my final destination is much more wild and remote. 655 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:44,720 I'm heading 400 miles north of the mainland, to Svalbard. 656 00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:48,080 This archipelago is a Norwegian protectorate, 657 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:50,200 but hardly anyone lives here, 658 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:53,680 with polar bears outnumbering humans 659 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:53,680 by two to one. 660 00:48:57,400 --> 00:49:03,360 My final destination is a day's boat ride away, up into the wilderness. 661 00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:06,280 This is furthest north that I've ever been 662 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:09,480 and the furthest north that I'll be going on my Arctic odyssey. 663 00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:14,040 As concerns have grown about our impact on the Arctic, 664 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:17,720 science has become one of the main activities in these islands. 665 00:49:17,720 --> 00:49:23,240 I'm heading to Ny-Alesund, the nerve centre of polar research in Europe. 666 00:49:24,240 --> 00:49:29,480 The people that I'm going to go and live with next are a very special breed, 667 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:33,280 and I'm hoping that some of the questions I've had in my mind 668 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:37,400 throughout the whole of my journey might finally get answered. 669 00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:42,120 Over the last six months, 670 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:46,160 I've lived with people who are trying to adjust to a warmer Arctic. 671 00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:51,400 The scientists working here are scrutinising such environmental change. 672 00:49:51,400 --> 00:49:54,840 I hope I'm finally going to get an overview 673 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,840 on what's happening to the Arctic and its people. 674 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:05,000 Ny-Alesund is the most northerly permanently inhabited place on 675 00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:05,000 Earth. 676 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,400 Ten different countries have state-of-the-art facilities here, 677 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:12,280 and much of their research is focused on climate change. 678 00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:20,120 The air here should be some of the cleanest in the world. 679 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:23,640 But Dr Cathrine Lund Myhre, from NILU, 680 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:27,480 the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, tells me otherwise. 681 00:50:27,480 --> 00:50:30,960 That's quite spectacular. Yes. It's very spectacular. 682 00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:33,240 Is it as pristine as it looks? 683 00:50:33,240 --> 00:50:35,720 It's not as pristine as it looks, actually. 684 00:50:35,720 --> 00:50:38,280 If you really look at the details, it's not. 685 00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:41,520 So there's hardly a village in hundreds of miles, 686 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:43,840 but still humans are having a large impact on it? 687 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:44,880 Yes, actually. 688 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:50,040 And if we look at these things here, this is the inlet for the climate gases. 689 00:50:50,040 --> 00:50:52,760 How important is this little structure 690 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:55,120 for our understanding of global climate? 691 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:59,080 It has a crucial position in determining global 692 00:50:59,080 --> 00:51:01,120 and northern hemispheric changes. 693 00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:03,280 In recent years, 694 00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:07,800 air sampled here has shown a significant increase in methane, 695 00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:12,800 a potent greenhouse gas that's given off as organic matter breaks down. 696 00:51:12,800 --> 00:51:17,200 As the Arctic warms, there are concerns that the permafrost, 697 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:19,880 the layer of soil that should be frozen all year round, 698 00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:24,200 is thawing, releasing huge quantities of methane 699 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:26,920 and further accelerating global warming. 700 00:51:26,920 --> 00:51:30,040 Even small increases in temperature 701 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:33,400 can have a considerable effect on this frozen world. 702 00:51:33,400 --> 00:51:35,880 Studying a glacier on the edge of town 703 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:39,080 is a French team led by Dr Madeleine Griselin. 704 00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:40,440 So what have we got here? 705 00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:43,800 Here is an anemometer and pluviometer station. 706 00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:45,680 Anemometer's for the wind? Yes. 707 00:51:45,680 --> 00:51:48,480 And the plu is for rain? Rain gauge, yes. 708 00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:50,000 OK. 709 00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:57,120 They've got ten or so different types of measuring apparatus, 710 00:51:57,120 --> 00:52:00,920 from thermometers to collecting precipitation, photography, 711 00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:02,560 all sorts of different things. 712 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:04,360 This glacier's pretty well covered. 713 00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:09,560 Madeleine needs to erect a support for a weather station. 714 00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:12,680 This giant kettle will help her melt a hole in the ice. 715 00:52:12,680 --> 00:52:15,800 But it also has another very important use. 716 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:19,600 We can cook sausage on the top. 717 00:52:19,600 --> 00:52:21,920 LAUGHTER 718 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:35,080 Are you ready for a sausage? Oh, for a sausage? You bet! 719 00:52:35,080 --> 00:52:36,440 Wow! My dear. 720 00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:37,960 Merci. 721 00:52:40,560 --> 00:52:41,920 Ah, j'ai aussi des petits chips! 722 00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:44,080 And there you have it. 723 00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:47,000 The northernmost steamed sausage... 724 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:49,200 ever, probably. 725 00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:52,760 Measuring stakes are spread out all over the glacier. 726 00:52:52,760 --> 00:52:56,040 In recent years, they've recorded significant melting. 727 00:52:56,040 --> 00:53:01,080 In three years, the ice was...like that. 728 00:53:01,080 --> 00:53:03,160 So in three years, you've lost four metres? 729 00:53:03,160 --> 00:53:04,800 Yes. Just here. 730 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:12,040 The temperature here has risen by 2 degrees centigrade in the last 40 731 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:12,040 years, 732 00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:14,120 with dramatic impacts. 733 00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:17,240 The rest of the world 734 00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:17,240 may be debating climate change - 735 00:53:17,240 --> 00:53:20,040 some deny it's even happening at all - 736 00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:22,880 but up here, it's all too real. 737 00:53:24,840 --> 00:53:29,080 Before I leave Svalbard, I've arranged to meet Dr Kim Holmen, 738 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:32,800 who co-ordinates research 739 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:32,800 at the Norwegian Polar Institute. 740 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:36,040 He's a world expert 741 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:36,040 on change in the Arctic. 742 00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:40,640 If anyone can give me an overview on what's happening here, it's him. 743 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:45,600 Isn't what we're experiencing just a natural warming of the climate? 744 00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:51,080 Part of the signal is natural, but part of it is undoubtedly 745 00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:51,080 human-induced. 746 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:54,880 I would argue that some of the changes we see are much more rapid 747 00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:59,560 than anything we find in the historic records. 748 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:04,240 But just as a fellow human, what are your concerns for the future here? 749 00:54:04,240 --> 00:54:08,280 The change in the Arctic is not only for the polar bear, 750 00:54:08,280 --> 00:54:11,320 it's not only for the people that live in the Arctic, 751 00:54:11,320 --> 00:54:15,600 but it is also important for much of the rest of the world. 752 00:54:15,600 --> 00:54:22,080 Farming in China will be influenced, there is flooding in other parts 753 00:54:22,080 --> 00:54:28,520 of the world that is likely coupled to these large-scale circulation changes 754 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:31,000 that an ice-free Arctic will create. 755 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:36,280 If the region continues to warm 756 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:36,280 at the current rate, 757 00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:39,960 Kim and his colleagues predict that 758 00:54:36,280 --> 00:54:39,960 the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free 759 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:42,240 in the summer within a few decades. 760 00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:46,640 The impacts of this would be felt across the world, 761 00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:51,640 and our weather will be very different to what we know today. 762 00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:54,400 Are you worried, are you optimistic? 763 00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:57,800 How do you see this ever-changing world? 764 00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:02,200 I do believe that when more people understand, 765 00:55:02,200 --> 00:55:08,680 more people see what is happening, that we can make a serious impression. 766 00:55:08,680 --> 00:55:12,600 I certainly wish to spread knowledge in society, 767 00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:18,680 because that's the key to changing attitudes and behaviour for all of us. 768 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:35,040 It's my last night in Ny-Alesund. 769 00:55:35,040 --> 00:55:38,320 But the Arctic still has a few surprises in store. 770 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:43,600 A laser beam studying the atmosphere 771 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:43,600 lights up the sky. 772 00:55:45,160 --> 00:55:48,600 It's a crisp, clear, cold night, 773 00:55:48,600 --> 00:55:52,520 and the moon is full and as bright as I've ever seen it. 774 00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:57,400 There's a laser beam shooting to the stars over there, and finally, 775 00:55:57,400 --> 00:56:03,480 to cap it all, the magical Northern Lights have come out to play. 776 00:56:10,240 --> 00:56:16,360 Through the darkness of winter, the aurora borealis dance and pulse 777 00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:20,240 like a technicolour crown around the top of our world, 778 00:56:20,240 --> 00:56:25,800 uniting the polar communities with one of nature's most beautiful spectacles. 779 00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:29,560 It's a magical end to an emotional journey. 780 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:34,760 It's time for me to leave the High Arctic. 781 00:56:34,760 --> 00:56:37,880 As I look back upon my six months here, 782 00:56:37,880 --> 00:56:42,360 it's the warmth of the people I've met that will stay with me the most. 783 00:56:52,680 --> 00:56:54,520 I've lived with hunters 784 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:58,520 and witnessed them struggling to keep their traditions alive. 785 00:56:58,520 --> 00:57:00,520 CHEERING 786 00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:08,240 And I've seen how vital 787 00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:08,240 a close connection to the land is 788 00:57:08,240 --> 00:57:11,280 for people's health and happiness. 789 00:57:11,280 --> 00:57:15,120 The race for the riches of the north is on. 790 00:57:15,120 --> 00:57:17,680 The starting gun has been fired. 791 00:57:17,680 --> 00:57:19,560 EXPLOSION 792 00:57:19,560 --> 00:57:21,560 Fortunes will be made. 793 00:57:21,560 --> 00:57:23,720 But at what cost? 794 00:57:24,760 --> 00:57:28,640 Many fear the impact this scramble for the Arctic will have 795 00:57:28,640 --> 00:57:31,960 on this fragile land and all who live here. 796 00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:38,440 We're in danger of losing a unique way of perceiving our world 797 00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:41,800 and of living in harmony with nature. 798 00:57:43,000 --> 00:57:46,040 The future of the Arctic is in our hands. 799 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:48,440 We need to treat it wisely... 800 00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:54,000 ..because what happens here will affect us all. 801 00:57:55,840 --> 00:58:01,360 One of the biggest things I've learnt is that this isn't some pristine, 802 00:58:01,360 --> 00:58:03,560 isolated ecosystem at the top of the world. 803 00:58:03,560 --> 00:58:09,360 This place is absolutely part of the whole, 804 00:58:09,360 --> 00:58:14,560 and what we're doing in the south is having absolutely an effect - 805 00:58:14,560 --> 00:58:19,000 often quite negative - here in this ecosystem. 806 00:58:19,000 --> 00:58:22,680 And so, whatever we do in the future, 807 00:58:22,680 --> 00:58:26,040 we have to look at our planet as one. 808 00:58:45,680 --> 00:58:48,720 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 809 00:58:48,720 --> 00:58:51,760 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk