The Fan Hitch, the official publication of the Inuit Sled Dog International, is published 4 times a year.  It is available to those who do not have access to the world wide web by subscription for $4.50 USD/$8.00 CAD to cover the cost of printing and mailing.  U.S. subscription requests should be sent to Sue Hamilton, Editor, The Fan Hitch, 55 Town Line Road, Harwinton, CT  06791, USA.  Send Canadian and international requests to Geneviève Montcombroux, P.O. Box 206, Inwood, Manitoba, ROC 1PO, Canada. * Contents of The Fan Hitch are protected by international copyright laws.  Neither photos, drawings nor text may be reproduced in any form without written consent.  Please forward these requests to the Editor at qimmiq@snet.net * The Fan Hitch welcomes for publication your letters, stories, comments and suggestions.

"Looking into a seal breathing hole" N-1979-05 Doug E. Wilkinson/NWT Archives
Photo courtesy of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre who retains sole copyright.

Nunavut and Nunavik Inuit Demand Inquiry into 
Dog Extermination

The following report is a summary (with Fan Hitch editorial comment)  of an article by Jane George that appeared in the April 28, 2000 Nunatsiaq News.

Inuit from Nunavik (Northern Quebec) and Nunavut Territory  are asking for their governments to hold inquiries into the "government-ordered" slaughter of sled dogs that took place between 1950 and 1975.  Supposedly the dogs were shot as disease and roaming dog control measures.    Inuit are saying that they were never advised nor did they consent to this action which, in the time before snow machines came into popularity,  rendered them dependent on government assistance in order to provide family needs. It is maintained that there was no real problem to justify the mass killings, nor were the owners of the dead dogs compensated or assisted in maintaining their traditional way of life.

So far there is no response to  letters submitted on March 28 and 29 of this year to the ministers of native and northern affairs in each location. 

[The sending of these letters within two days of the start of the March 27th Nunavut Quest 2000, a race celebrating the traditional use of dogs  begs the question, "Was this deliberate timing?" FH ed.]