For some in Nunavik, federal apology for dog slaughter is a step toward reconciliation

Getting the Canadian government to apologize for its role in the mass killing of Nunavik sled dogs has been a 25-year-long mission for Pita Aatami, the president of Makivvik Corporation, which represents Inuit in Nunavik.

For him, Saturday night's apology inside a crowded community centre in Kangiqsujuaq, Que., was a step toward closure.

"It hurt not just the person that lost the dogs, but the whole family. They had no more means of going out on the land to go hunting, fishing, get ice and pick up driftwood," he said.

To this day, Aatami said he still hears new painful stories about the dog slaughter, a period in the 1950s and 1960s when police officers and other authorities killed over 1,000 qimmit [sled dogs] in Nunavik, the Inuit region of northern Quebec.

One of the stories that haunts him is from Lousia Cookie of Kuujjuarapik, who spoke about trying to protect her dogs.

"She almost got shot herself twice trying to protect the dog … the police had no regard for the human part … that people were pleading 'please don't kill our dogs, that's our only means of surviving here'," he recalled. 

Gary Anandasangaree, the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, acknowledged during the formal apology that it should have come sooner.

"Because we waited, many whose lives were affected by the dog slaughter are not with us to hear this apology," he said. 

"While apologies and acknowledgements will not bring back what you lost, I hope it gives you some confidence that we can move forward together. I hope it gives you some closure."

Along with the formal apology, the federal government will give Makivvik Corporation $45 million in compensation for Inuit in the region. Part of the money, Aatami said, will go towards revitalizing the culture of dog team ownership, which includes training, food, and fencing. Some is also expected to go towards direct compensation for those impacted.

Anandasangaree met with Nunavik elders to hear their testimony about the dog slaughter ahead of the formal apology. Speaking to CBC after the ceremony, he said he had heard many stories about the dog slaughter in Nunavik he hadn't previously known.

They include the fact that some dogs were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, as well how Inuit used dogs beyond just transportation, including in identifying seals.

"The number of women who spoke, who themselves were leading dog teams, was also very powerful," he said. 

Despite all those losses, Inuit in Nunavik have fought to keep their traditions alive.