Join Erika Larsen for a signing of her book Sámi: Walking with Reindeer.

"Every day in the Arctic extremes play upon the lives of the inhabitants. Here I found the Sámi. Indigenous to the Arctic Circle of northern Scandinavia and Russia—the largest area in the world with an ancestral way of life based on the seasonal migrations of the animals—the Sámi are by tradition reindeer herders who live as nomads. By possessing a livelihood dependent on their surroundings, the herders are acutely aware of changes in nature. They have managed to survive in extreme climatic circumstances for ages. Their spoken language, despite being derived from Finno-Ugric roots, has transformed and is considered an Arctic language rich in its ability to explain the natural world.

I came here to understand the primal drive of the modern hunter and to find a people who, when the land spoke, could interpret its language. I also came in search of silence so that I could begin to hear again.

From the first images I created in this land I could see the people lived in two worlds. In them I experienced a past rich in its connection to nature, driven by the need to survive and enveloped in a relationship to the earth and its surroundings. The images exposed the presence of a people still nomadic and not in need of the world existing outside the arctic landscape. My photographs explore the Sámi herders' symbiotic relationship with the environment, their existence in today's world and the mystery and beauty which fueled past generations to survive."

Read more about this work on The New York Times LENS blog.

Please note that due to professional obligations, photographer's book signing dates may change without notification. Limit of two signed copies per customer. Pre-orders and reserve orders are not guaranteed but every effort is made to fulfill orders. Books must be purchased from the ICP Store. If purchased before date of event, please bring your receipt. For more information, call 212.857.9725.

This event takes place during voluntary contribution hours at the museum.

Free Friday night programs in the Museum are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn.
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