The Fan Hitch Volume 2, Number 3, May 2000

Newsletter of the Inuit Sled Dog

Table of Contents

From the Editor
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Nunavut Quest 2000:
More Than a Race
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Nunavut Quest 2000:
Drivers' Meeting
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Nunavut Quest 2000:
On the Trail
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Nunavut Quest 2000:
Race Results
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Poem: Dogs of the Sledge Trail
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Inuit Demand Inquiry of Historical Dog Extermination Policy
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Memories
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Nunavut's Official Symbols
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Niels Pedersen, D.V.M:
The Veterinary Service in Greenland
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ISDI Foundation:
Acknowledgements
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Sled Dog Problems in Iqaluit
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Baking: Dog Cookie Recipe
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Crafts: Save That Hair
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Behavioral Notebook:
Social Order
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Book Review:
Polar Dream
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In My Humble Opinion: 
Sharing the Trail
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Update:
Ihe ISDVMA Meeting


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Editor's/Publisher's Statement
              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

From the Editor...

Here is our biggest Fan Hitch ever! In this issue I am delighted to welcome Niels Pedersen, former Greenland veterinarian.  He has graciously agreed to share with us over the next several issues his reflections of his service to 30,000 sled dogs on that huge island.  Greetings also to Silu Connelly of Kangiqsliniq (Rankin Inlet) in Nunavut who shares with us her recollections of her family's experiences with dog teams.  You'll also get to share our adventures during our recent trip "up island" to Pond Inlet where we were caught the activities leading up to the Nunavut Quest 2000.  Little did we realize that as this event was unfolding, the Nunavut Legislative body was formalizing a decision to make the Canadian Inuit dog the Official Mammal of Nunavut.  These times were filled with even more coincidences and irony as the Inuit of Nunavut and Nunavik made their demands for an investigation into the government sponsored slaughter of their sled dog teams back in the '50's to mid 70's.  Also, controversy continued to swirl in Nunavut's capital, Iqaluit, surrounding proposed dog keeping laws and a highly misleading article on that in the April 25th Wall Street Journal.  The Inuit Sled Dog sure has occupied a prominent place in the news this Spring!  You'll find it all in here, plus a few other goodies, including another masterful poem by Ken Pawson.  Enjoy!

Wishing you smooth ice and narrow leads.........
                                Sue
 

Letter to the Editor

Geneviève Montcombroux of Toadhall Kennels, Inwood, Manitoba, Canada comments on Mark Hamilton's IMHO from Volume 2, Number 2 (February 2000):

If you brand as wisdom the fact that Jayko said, "Don't feed them too much meat, their legs will be too short," you're going to have some mushers starving their dogs by withholding meat simply because they like dogs with longer legs.  What has to be said in truth is that meat, as in muscle meat, alone will cause an imbalance in the diet, but if the meat is in proportion to liver, tongue and heart as well as a form of carbohydrate, you will not alter the length of the legs or anything else. When the dogs are fed seal in the north, they get everything - guts (containing carbohydrate), organ meat, muscle meat, bones. Quite a complete diet, though studies in Antarctica showed that it was slightly deficient in calcium.  Personally I add milk powder to my dogs' mash equivalent to one liter for 15 dogs, as a totally absorbable calcium source. At the last check, legs seem to be medium length as they should be for the Canadian Inuit Dog.
 
 

 

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