The reindeer arrive at the tipi before sunrise. You hear them — a soft snort, a hoof on frozen ground — and you know that whatever the temperature is outside (it might be -5°C in September), it is time to get up.
Inside the tipi, the stove is already glowing. Someone has been awake for an hour boiling water for tea. The children are still asleep, three under one fur blanket.
Tsaatan life is not staged. The families we visit on our 14-day trip don't perform for travelers — they live their lives, and we are invited to be quietly present.