The dog teams make it to Kangiqsujuaq


After a long and backbreaking journey from Quaqtaq, up and down steep slopes, through bare land and rocky terrain, the dog teams taking part in Ivakkak 2007 made it to Kangiqsujuaq at last this Sunday. But the road from Iqalurjuaq, where the dog teams spent their Saturday night, was not an easy one. Even though no more hills stood in the way once they were on the sea ice, the dog teams had to face the bitter cold wind, blowing without anything to stop it. Later in the day, as the first teams started to arrive in Kangiqsujuaq, the wind had grown stronger. By the end of the afternoon, almost all dog teams had made it to town, except for three teams that were falling behind: those of George Nunga, George Kritik Jr. and Johnny Angnatuk (from Tasiujaq). Their dogs were just too tired to continue in the once again stormy weather, so the safety patrol went to pick them up by snowmobile to bring them home safe. Needless to say that after the adventures of the past few days, everybody was happy to finally spend the night in the warmth of a house. Since their clothes and sleeping bags didn’t quite have the chance to dry completely after the storm spent out on the land, so the dog teams will be spending all day this Monday in Kangiqsujuaq. This day break will also give some the chance to repair their sleds that got damaged on the rough and rocky trail they the dog teams had to go through during this strenuous first leg of Ivakkak 2007. Meanwhile, the race officials, who also needed some rest after this already long journey, will take that time to compile the race results, which will be made available later on this Monday, in our next update.

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Stay tuned for more details in the next update to come…

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The return of the Inuit Dogs

At the end of the last century, the pure-breed Husky dog was nearly extinct in Nunavik. Nowadays, Inuit people mostly travel by snowmobile. Yet, the memories of another time when dogs were man’s most reliable partners are not so far behind. Long known to be man’s best friend, dogs were once essential to the survival of Inuit in the merciless arctic environment. In fact, only a few decades ago, sled dogs were a foundation of the Inuit nomadic way of life.

These brave allies were central to seasonal Inuit movements, especially in the winter.Strongly built with a thick fur, huskies can withstand bitterly cold temperatures and are capable of lugging their share of supplies during long hours travelling across the endless tundra. Harnessed to a sled or simply keeping pace alongside their master, dogs made it possible for Inuit to cover great distances in their search for game to provide for their families, and to transport heavy loads (...).

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