Jonas Vannar is a Sámi reindeer herder. The Sámi are indigenous to the Arctic regions of what we know today as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. He lives in Jokkmokk, a small municipality in Sweden just north of the Arctic circle. Jonas is a trained Biologist who studied at Gothemburg University, but who shortly after graduation realized that he wanted to move back to the north to work as a reindeer herder full time.
Being a Sami reindeer herder is a challenging job done in extreme weather conditions. Aside from being good at herding and enduring brutal winter weather conditions in the forest or mountains, herders also need to act as a lawyer, economist, environmentalist, activist and politician to maintain their way of life and their relationship with nature. Jonas is on the frontlines of the battle against climate change. He is a first-hand observer of the changes in the weather generated by climate change as well as the pressures that exist to exploit the resources in the Arctic.
