One of my career’s favorite assignments was for National Geographic/Adventure, documenting the ever-ongoing migration of Komi reindeer herders who live north of the Arctic Circle in Russia. These people had never before been visited by foreigners (although the men had served in the Russian army) and they lived a unique lifestyle blending old and new. In truth, writer Gretel Ehrlich and I only stumbled upon them by accident. We had expected to be traveling with the better-known Nenet herders. Photo Gordon Wiltsie As this photo suggests, the setting was awe inspiring. Here the clan is moving across the tundra, en route to their next camp in the distant taiga forest, where they can find firewood to burn for cooking and heat. The long poles…