The Fan Hitch Volume 4, Number 3, May 2002

Newsletter of the Inuit Sled Dog

Table of Contents

Editorial
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Featured Inuit Dog Owner: Chuck Weiss
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Research Paper 1: Survey of Diseases and Accidents
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When to Start Working Dogs
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A Day in the Woods
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Future or Death
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Reality Check: Reproduction or the Real Deal
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Behaviour: Qiniliq Learns His Place
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High Arctic Mushing: Part III
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Book Review: Igloo Dwellers Were My Church
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Janice Howls: All Along the Watch Tower
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IMHO: Friends and Allies


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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

Book review...

Igloo Dwellers Were My Church 

by John R. Sperry

reviewed by Jeff Dinsdale

Reverend Sperry is the former Anglican Bishop of the Arctic. The book is the recounting of his experiences during the 1950s and 1960s in Coppermine (Kugluktuk) N.W.T. (present-day Nunavut). The book is notable for many things but I will mention only those that relate to dogs and sledding, namely, his use of sled dogs during his time in the Western Arctic coupled with his insights into the evolution of their use, his recounting of several very long journeys with the dogs, his excellent photographs of the dogs and equipment. What I find interesting is the fact that in that one part of the Arctic, at least three different influences came together and this is clearly evident in both the types of dogs being used and the "mix" of equipment. For example, the harnesses are a combination of the Alaskan "X" back with spreader bar and the "southern" padded collar. Dogs are harnessed side-by-side yet they pull heavy komatiks (with the occasional toboggan). There are no sleds as were used in Alaska. The dogs are interesting as well. Some are clearly Inuit Dogs, while the majority are cross-bred. He has an excellent discussion regarding the use of Inuit versus the traditional term Eskimo.

Igloo Dwellers in My Church, John R. Sperry. Published by Bayeux Arts, Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada and available through Outcrop Communications Ltd., Yellowknife, N.W.T., March 2001, ISBN is 1-896209-58-0; $39.00 Canadian (GST and shipping included).

Contact information:

 Up Here Publishing Ltd. 
 #800-4920 52nd St. 
 Yellowknife, NT   X1A 3T1
Tel. (867) 920-4343
1-800-661-0861 (Canada only)
Fax. (867) 873-2844
e-mail: wanda@uphere.ca

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