Ottawa provides an apology and $45 million in reparations for the Nunavik Inuit dog killing

The federal government is providing $45 million in compensation to Inuit in Nunavik as part of its apology for Canada's involvement in the killing of sled dogs between the mid-1950s and late 1960s.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree is set to visit Kangiqsujuaq on Saturday afternoon to deliver the apology for Canada's role in these killings.

A 2010 report by Jean-Jacques Croteau, a retired Superior Court of Quebec judge, revealed that Quebec provincial police killed over 1,000 dogs in Nunavik, disregarding their importance to Inuit families. The report also noted that the federal government failed to intervene and that the introduction of mandatory schooling and residential schools played a significant role in the lead-up to the killings.

Pita Aatami, president of Makivvik (the organization representing Inuit in Nunavik), shared that the compensation would help revitalize the culture of dog team ownership in the region, including funding for training, food, and fencing. He added that part of the funds would be used for direct compensation, although the exact distribution has not been finalized.

Aatami also mentioned that the Inuit community had requested $75 million and emphasized that the compensation was just a starting point. He expressed hope that the funds would also support mental healing, as the loss of sled dogs had a deep emotional and cultural impact. Many Inuit turned to alcohol to numb the pain of losing their livelihood and independence.

Croteau's report traced the responsibility of the Canadian government for the dog killings, largely stemming from the establishment of mandatory schooling and residential schools in Nunavik, which led to the forced sedentarization of the Inuit. The introduction of these schools disrupted Inuit culture, including the use of sled dogs, which were crucial to their way of life.

In Kangiqsujuaq, where the apology is being made, Croteau noted that the federal government’s interference with sled dogs began after a school opened in 1960, followed by a nursing station and prefabricated homes by 1962. This settlement process, driven by mandatory schooling, led to conflict over the fate of the dogs, as Inuit families, unfamiliar with provincial regulations, were unable to prevent their dogs from being killed.

Croteau's report detailed how over 200 dogs were killed in Kangiqsujuaq between 1965 and 1967 alone, as well as how some dogs died after receiving vaccinations that Inuit had not been warned about. He concluded that Canada should have approached the situation through negotiation rather than confrontation.

In 2011, Quebec Premier Jean Charest apologized to the Inuit for the province’s role in the killings, settling with Makivvik for $3 million to support Inuit language and culture. In 2019, the federal government also apologized to Inuit in Nunavut for the RCMP’s involvement in sled dog killings. A report from the Qikiqtani Truth Commission later revealed that hundreds of dogs were killed by the RCMP in Nunavut due to fears of disease and loose dogs.