The Fan Hitch Volume 3, Number 2, March 2001

Newsletter of the Inuit Sled Dog

Table of Contents

From the Editor
 
Thanks to our Sponsors
 
Featured Inuit Dog Owner: Tim Socha
 
Nunavut Quest 2001
 
Inuit Dogs in New Hampshire, Part I
 
Uummannaq: A Special Dog Sledge Expedition
 
Remembrances of a Spent Life: "Chimo"
 
Dog News from Iqaluit
 
The Homecoming, Part III
 
Fan Hitch Wins Writing Contest Recognition
 
Product Review: Seeing the Light
 
Media Review: The Last Husky
 
Tip for the Trail: A Do-it Yourself Alcohol Heater
 
IMHO: Looking Forward


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Ordering Ken MacRury's Thesis

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              Editor: Sue Hamilton
              Webmaster: Mark Hamilton
The Fan Hitch Website and Publications of the Inuit Sled Dog– the quarterly Journal (retired in 2018) and PostScript – are dedicated to the aboriginal landrace traditional Inuit Sled Dog as well as related Inuit culture and traditions. 

PostScript is published intermittently as material becomes available. Online access is free at: https://thefanhitch.org  PostScript welcomes your letters, stories, comments and The editorial staff reserves the right to edit submissions used for publication.

Contents of The Fan Hitch Website and its publications  are protected by international copyright laws. No photo, drawing or text may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Webmasters please note: written consent is necessary before linking this site to yours! Please forward requests to Sue Hamilton, 55 Town Line Rd., Harwinton, Connecticut  06791, USA or mail@thefanhitch.org

Dogsledge Expedition Undertaken by and for Kids in Need

by Geneviève Montcombroux

Bornehjemmet in Uummannaq, northern Greenland, is a special home funded by the government of Greenland. Twenty five Inuit youngsters aged from five to twenty live at Bornehjemmet. They are learning to overcome traumatic experiences from their childhood through their Greenlandic culture, which is so closely linked to nature.

Uummannaq is a small, isolated town on a fjord, some 500 km (300 miles) north of the Arctic circle. Hunting and fishing are the main source of income. The children's home is always looking to provide educational therapy and positive experiences for the youths. One of the most successful therapies has been the dog sled expeditions.

As she has done for several years, Ann Andreasen, director of the home and originator of the sled expeditions, has organized a 1500 km (1000 miles) expedition which will be the longest of all. It will start from Uummannaq in March to reach Thule sometime in May. Jean-Michel Huctin, a French writer, photographer and lecturer, and a collaborator in the Children's Home, will also lead the expedition, along with the best hunters of Uummannaq district and the Bornehjemmet educators. They will be a fantastic sight on the ice, with no less than fifteen  sleds pulled by 200 dogs. The expedition can be followed on the Internet Home site, <http://www.arcticinuit.net > and on television. A film will be produced by Media Video Company - a French film company which has won several awards for its documentaries. A book will be published soon after the end of the expedition.

The aim of this therapeutic expedition is to let wild nature teach the youths to expand their energy positively. Being responsible for themselves as well as their dog teams and facing the daily difficulty of life in a harsh environment will develop self-confidence and pride. 

Alumni of Bornehjammet have gone on to higher studies or are holding down jobs. For the organizers, the dog sled expeditions contributed to their success. This is why they want to be able to continue, and for this they need sponsors. No contribution is too small. The address: Children's Home, P.O. Box 99 - 3961, Uummannaq, Greenland. 

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