The Fan Hitch PostScript
Number 4, posted
December 2019
In this Post

From the Editor

Passage: William John ‘Qimmiliriji’ Carpenter


 QIA, Canadian Government Settlement


Media review: Red Serge and Polar Bear Pants


Media review: One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk

 
Update: A Book is Born



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The Canadian government apologizes, agrees on settlement with
Qikiqtani Inuit over forced relocations and sled dog killings

Following Inuit organizations’ rejections of the mid-2006 Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) self-examination and final report on the issue of the 1950 to 1975 dog killings, Makivik Corporation (Nunavik), in the year 2000, began its own investigation. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s (QIA) Truth Commission (QTC) in 2002 began to “examine issues related to social policy, language, and dog slaughter/relocation” (from the QTC website) in Nunavut.

Makivik submitted its final report in March 2010 and on August 2011 Quebec Government  (GQ) reached a resolution, with an apology and a monetary settlement to Nunavimiut (People of Nunavik).

The QTC submitted its report, “Achieving Saimaqatigiigniq” (peace with past opponents) in December 2010. Nearly a decade later, on August 14 of this year, “Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, apologized to Qikiqtani Inuit…on behalf of the federal government for colonial practices imposed on Inuit from 1950 to 1975, including sled dog killings, forced relocations and family separation.” At the ceremony in Iqaluit it was announced that, “$15 million for QIA’s legacy fund, over $2 million for Inuit history and governance programs, and over $1.2 million for a travel and healing program for Inuit affected by the Dundas Harbour relocation and the closing of Kivitoo, Paallavvik and south camp communities. Another $2.9 million will be dedicated to a qimmiit revitalization program, with $100,000 being given annually to the Nunavut Quest sled dog race from 2020 to 2027.”  (quotes from the 15 August, 2019 edition of Nunatsiaq News). You can find news reports with details at Nunatsiaq News here and here and CBC News North.

An email request to the QIA/QTC regarding specific plans for the  $2.2 million dedicated to a “qimmiit revitalization program” (beyond the $700,000 dedicated to supporting the Nunavut Quest dog team race for the next seven years) received the following August 31, 2019 reply: “We will have media releases throughout the year, related to the qimmiit revitalization program – we are very excited to start this important programming in the Qikiqtani!”.

Final reports issued by the RCMP, Makivik and QTC can be found at the Resources page on  The Fan Hitch website under the subheading “Official reports regarding Canadian Federal Government vis-a-vis Inuit social/cultural issues, including sled dogs”. Check out QTC ‘s video final report here.

You are encouraged to examine these documents or to re-familiarize yourselves with the perspectives and positions they represent and the conclusions drawn by each.