(CLO) The Canadian government apologized Saturday to Inuit people in northern Quebec for the mass killing of sled dogs in the 1950s and 1960s, which devastated communities by depriving them of their hunting, livelihood and mobility.
Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree traveled to Kangiqsujuaq in the Nunavik region to offer an apology and promise $45 million Canadian ($32.19 million US) in compensation.
Inuit community in Canada. Photo: GI
This follows another apology by the Canadian government in 2019 to the Inuit people of the Qikiqtani region, which includes Baffin Island, for the impact of traumatic federal policies that included family separation and the slaughter of sled dogs, known as qimmiit.
“Today, the Government of Canada has accepted responsibility for its role in a terrible historical injustice and expressed deep regret and sincere apology for the harm caused by the qimmiit massacre in Nunavik,” Anandasangaree said.
Pita Aatami, president of Makivvik, the organization representing Inuit in Quebec, said thousands of sled dogs were shot and killed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and other authorities from the mid-1950s onwards.
Sled dog teams are an integral part of Inuit culture and hunting traditions, helping them move quickly across the vast frozen landscapes of Canada's far north. They are also used to hunt seals and caribou.
In a statement, the Government of Canada said the needless killing of sled dogs has led to food and economic insecurity for Nunavik Inuit, the loss of traditional access to land, and caused deep and lasting emotional wounds.
Hong Hanh (according to Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/canada-xin-loi-vi-giet-cho-keo-xe-tuoc-sinh-ke-cua-cong-dong-nguoi-ban-dia-post322651.html
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