How Inuit are reclaiming the dog sledding tradition in Canada’s Far North

// custom header art window.tgam.meta.photo_desktop = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled01_XL.jpg"; window.tgam.meta.photo_mobile = "https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled01_SM.jpg"; // editable custom header parameters window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_desktop = "left"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_horizontal_position_desktop = "left"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_vertical_position_mobile = "top"; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient = false; window.tgam.meta.centre_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.large_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_gradient = true; window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay_gradient_opacity = ""; // editable custom header display overrides window.tgam.meta.display_head = "Tough sledding"; window.tgam.meta.display_deck = " How Inuit are reviving a tradition decades after a tragic cull"; window.tgam.meta.label = "Underexposed"; window.tgam.meta.byline = "Photography and story by Lisa Milosavljevic"; window.tgam.meta.byline2 = ""; window.tgam.meta.creditline = "The Globe and Mail"; // non-editable custom header parameters - PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH window.tgam.meta.headline_overlay = true; window.tgam.meta.two_column = false; window.tgam.meta.swap_column = false; window.tgam.meta.full_width = true; window.tgam.meta.narrow_width = false; window.tgam.meta.dark_background = true; window.tgam.meta.dark_background_colour = "#0a0a0a"; window.tgam.meta.sans_headline = false; window.tgam.meta.label_text_colour_overlay = "" ; window.tgam.meta.label_box_colour_overlay = "#a00f19"; window.tgam.meta.audio_bar = false; window.tgam.meta.banner = true; window.tgam.meta.banner_border = false; window.tgam.meta.banner_overlay_dark = false; window.tgam.meta.caption_background_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.caption_text_colour = ""; window.tgam.meta.full_height = true; // gi lazy images window.lazySizesConfig = window.lazySizesConfig || {}; Object.assign(window.lazySizesConfig, { lazyClass: "gi-lazyimage", loadedClass: "gi-lazyimage--loaded", loadingClass: "gi-lazyimage--loading", preloadClass: "gi-lazyimage--preload", errorClass: "gi-lazyimage--error", autosizesClass: "gi-lazyimage--autosizes", expand: 1000 }); const gi_content = ` [content] :skip ****** series box ****** :endskip [.slide] type: series [] :skip ****** video ****** :endskip [.slide] type: video video: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/Sledding_Loop_2_a.mp4 fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] “My grandmother and grandfather were of the land,” says Amber Aglukark. [] [.+paragraphs] “They were born in igloos. They lived in tuktu [caribou] hide tents in the spring.” Her grandfather was a qimuksiqti – a musher. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled02_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled02_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled02_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Before the 1950s, sledding was the main mode of transportation for Inuit. Qimmiit – dogs – and humans had a deep bond; the dogs were constant companions and their skills were essential to Inuit existence. They would track seals and polar bears, direct sleds home in whiteout conditions, and move gear and people between seasonal camps. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled03_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled03_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled03_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] But this way of life was shattered three generations ago. Now Ms. Aglukark and others like her are recovering what was lost. [] [.+paragraphs] “Inuit today are bringing back the practice of qimuksiit,” says Jeremy Tunraluk, the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., which ensures Inuit rights promised in the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. [] [] [] :skip ****** video ****** :endskip [.slide] type: video video: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/Sledding_Loop_1_a.mp4 fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Like her grandparents, Ms. Aglukark has always lived in what is known now as Nunavut. Her home is in the territory’s capital, Iqaluit (population 8,000), where she works a full-time government job and is on the Iqaluit city council as well as Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women council. [] [.+paragraphs] She also heads a dog team. “Going into dog-teaming was so that I could stay closer to the traditions,” says Ms. Aglukark. “Not just revitalize, but utilize the traditions.” Her father, like his father, raised a team and trained her two sisters. “It was my father that ignited that qimuksiqtiit flame in me,” she says, “by watching him.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled04a_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled04_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled04_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Where once dog teams were crucial to survival in the North, now they are a rarity. [] [] [] :skip ****** standalone text ****** :endskip [.slide] type: text [.text] [.+paragraphs] After the Second World War, Canada increased its police and military presence in the Arctic, and many Inuit were forced into settlements, disrupting their relationship to the land. Subsequently, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, citing health and safety reasons, slaughtered, as many as 20,000 sled dogs. The trauma of these combined events still resonates through the North. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled06a_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled06_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled06_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 2-3 desktop-aspect-ratio: 3-2 caption: A monument depicting an Inuk RCMP officer with a sled dog was erected outside of the RCMP headquarters in Iqaliut in 2021, at the recommendation of the Qikiqtani Truth Commission. credit: [.text] [.+paragraphs] [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled05_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled05_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled05_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Ms. Aglukark’s family is from Rankin Inlet, in the southwestern Kivalliq region of Nunavut, an area not directly affected by the dog slaughter. But her dog team still holds a powerful connection to her past and her heritage. “I hear so many stories from my father about my grandfather running his team. It was his way of life, his way of revitalizing his spirit.” [] [] [] :skip ****** video ****** :endskip [.slide] type: video video: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/Sledding_Loop_3_a.mp4 fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Amber runs her team with friends Paul Crowley and Lynn Peplinski in Iqaluit. Along with three additional helpers and her son, they ensure the dogs are fed, socialized and taken for a run three or four times a week, even when temperatures dip below -50 Celsius. [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled07_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled07_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled07_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] “It takes time and effort and energy and, most importantly, commitment. It’s having confidence to reclaim too, especially after everything our parents have been through – residential school and the intergenerational trauma.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled08_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled08_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled08_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false mobile-aspect-ratio: 3-2 desktop-aspect-ratio: 3-2 caption: Chickpea, who has been with the team since she was a puppy, gets belly rubs from team helper Aleksey Cameron. Her paws are still red from the seal meat she just ate. credit: [.text] [.+paragraphs] [] [] [] skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled09a_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled09_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled09_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] Terry Uyarak is a dog team leader, hunter and musician who lives in Igloolik, Nunavut. In 2017, he took over a friend’s team. “It’s like discovering a new love similar to having your own children,” he says of the work. “You understand a part of your heart that you didn’t know existed.” [] [.+paragraphs] When the weather is warmer, he brings his children along with him. “Without knowing it, they are learning,” he says. [] [] [] :skip ****** diptych ****** :endskip [.slide] type: diptych aspect-ratio: 3-2 [.diptych] photo-1-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled10_SM.jpg photo-1-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled10_LG.jpg photo-2-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled11_SM.jpg photo-2-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled11_LG.jpg [] [.text] [.+paragraphs] Amber is continuing her family tradition as well, by sharing her knowledge with her 12-year-old son, Julien. [] [.+paragraphs] “He found his voice last year,” says Amber. During a fight between the dogs that put the qamutik (sled) in danger, Julien spoke up. “I yelled at them super loud,” he recounts, “and they stopped instantly.” It was an important moment. [] [] [] skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled13a_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled13_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled13_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] “Dog sledding is impacting him how it impacted me,” says Amber. “How I could use my voice to bring calmness and attention to the team.” [] [] [] skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled14a_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled14_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled14_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: false [.text] [.+paragraphs] “I’m hoping that he grows up bringing that similar calm energy into whatever he does and brings that back to the community. And understanding that it takes time, dedication, calmness, and patience to learn something.” [] [] [] skip ****** photo ****** :endskip [.slide] type: photo photo-sm: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled15_SM.jpg photo-lg: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled15_LG.jpg photo-xl: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled15_XL.jpg fullscreen-mobile: false fullscreen-desktop: true [.text] [.+paragraphs] “It’s Inuit societal values in action.” [] [] [] :skip ****** photographer bio ****** :endskip [.slide] type: bio label: About the photographer photo:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/interactive/canada/features/photo-popup/stories/nu-sleddogs/LM-dogsled16_SM.jpg photo-credit: Photo by Amber Aglukark bio: Lisa Milosavljevic is a visual storyteller whose work celebrates the uniqueness of communities by highlighting traditions and everyday life. With a background in archaeology and the creative arts, she is drawn to documenting cultural landscapes. She lived in Iqaluit for five years and is now based between Montreal and Toronto. [] :skip ****** credits ****** :endskip [.slide] type: credits [.+credits] Photography and story by isa Milosavljevic Editing by Lisan Jutras Photo editing by Merle Robillard Digital presentation by Sarah Palmer Visuals editing by Liz Sullivan Interactive design and development by Christopher Manza [] [] [] `; !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r