The government of Canada on Saturday apologised to the Inuit of northern Quebec for the mass killing of sled dogs in the 1950s and 1960s, which devastated communities by depriving them of the ability to hunt and travel.
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Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree travelled to Kangiqsujuaq in the Nunavik region to deliver the apology and promised C$45 million (US$32.19 million) in compensation.
It follows another government apology in 2019 to the Inuit of the Qikiqtani region, which includes Baffin Island, for the effects of traumatic federal policies including family separation and the slaughter of sled dogs, known as qimmiit.
“Today, the Government of Canada accepted responsibility for its role in a terrible historic injustice and expressed its deep regret and sincere apology for the harms inflicted by the slaughter of qimmiit in Nunavik,” Anandasangaree said.
Thousands of sled dogs were shot by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and other authorities in Inuit settlements from the mid-1950s onwards, said Pita Aatami, President of Makivvik, the organisation representing Quebec’s Inuit.
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Sled dog teams were integral to Inuit culture and hunting traditions, providing quick travel across the vast frozen landscapes of Canada’s far north. They were also instrumental in the hunting of seals and caribou.