Hugke Nakkin is on a Norwegian holiday with his family and the Polar Circle is a natural stop. The tourist center in Nordland has up to 200,000 visitors every summer. – Many who come to Norway have the Arctic Circle on their bucket list. When news meets Nakkin, she has collected some stones and is writing on them with alcohol marker. – I’m probably like the other tourists here. I have written our name on some stones in memory of Mum. For me it is a symbolic act. It shows that I have been there. I think most people here will leave behind a trace that they have been here, she says. She says that she had not brought the sign that says cairn building is prohibited. Every year, the area around the Arctic Circle is cleared of cairns built by tourists. But just as quickly they are built up again. Here, the tourist Hugke Nakkin is looking for stones. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martisnen / news news has previously reported that cairn construction destroys the landscape and destroys Sami cultural monuments at the Polar Circle Center on Saltfjellet. Every autumn the cairns are demolished, but to no avail. As soon as the tourist season starts, the cairns are rebuilt. This summer, several tons of stone are used to build stone formations or names and symbols. Few notice the lonely sign that says this is not allowed. – I have not seen any sign that says it is not allowed. If there had been a divorce here, I wouldn’t have done it, says Hugke. Here it says that cairn building is prohibited. But not everyone gets it. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news A little further away from the Dutch tourists stands Swedish Johanna Ström Hanser – busy picking stones. Nor has she brought the prohibition sign with her. She reacts to the fact that the sign is down by the car park and not in the area where there are now thousands of small and large stone cairns. Tourists write on rocks they find at the Arctic Circle center on Saltfjellet. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news – When the sign is down by the car park, no one sees it. It should be found up here, in several places, she believes. She says that people have taken the time to find the right stones and put them in a pattern to make an impression. Swedish Johanna Ström Hanser calls for better signage. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news – I guess that’s what we humans want to do. But I now understand that this is a place with cultural heritage. Then we will leave the area alone. Working to get information out Midre Nordland National Park chairman Inga-Lill Sundset believes it is important that they reach out to tourists with the information. – First of all, we need to have better information, both in advance and on the spot where they can read about why they should not do it and why it is important to keep Saltfjellet as it is. Sundset believes it is unfortunate how the situation at Saltfjellet has developed in recent years. – This year it has just been absolutely enormous. It damages the surrounding area and it means that you have an activity where you don’t leave the area as it was when you got there. This summer, several tons of stone are used to build stone formations or names and symbols. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news The board has recently adopted a new visitor strategy for Saltfjellet. – We will take the initiative to bring up more and better signage. It is not our responsibility alone, so we must involve the other actors. – Will traffic bans solve the problem? – A traffic ban can solve the problem, but it is a last resort. I have more faith in directing traffic where you want them. Give the others things to do, make a selfie spot for example. or a nature trail. Published 31.07.2024, at 13.24
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Tourists build cairns on the mountain at the Polar Circle Center – news Nordland
