Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer

Fen Montaigne in his March 1998 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC article “Nenets: Surviving on the Siberian Tundra,” writes that reindeer are everything to the Nenets: their food, clothing, shelter, transportation, even their sense of identity. Does an animal play an important role in the welfare of your family? If so, what animal and how? In your family’s past have animals played important roles?

Have your family check your library or explore the Internet to learn more about reindeer. Ask your family if Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, a popular character in children’s books, is a reindeer or a caribou? Check our Resources & Links and visit the Alaska Department Fish and Game Wildlife Notebook Series at (http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/notebook/notehome.htm). Once you find the answer, discuss the differences between reindeer and caribou. How are these animals classified?

Do you have caribou, deer, or other mammals living in your area? If so, do they have natural predators? What are their food chains? What relationships exist between humans and the animals? Are the animals overpopulated? Do they overgraze? If so, discuss how your community addresses the problem. If the problem exists, and nothing has been done about it, discuss what you could do to resolve it.

Rick Frederic of Nikiski Middle-High School, in Nikiski, Alaska, contributed family activities for this Geoguide.