NOV 24,(V7N) - The Canadian government issued an official apology on Saturday to the Inuit community in Nunavik, northern Quebec, for the mass killing of sled dogs by federal police more than half a century ago.

Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, delivered the heartfelt apology, acknowledging the profound harm caused to the community.

“It should not have taken decades for Canada to apologize to Nunavik Inuit for the role the Federal Government played in the dispossession and devastating loss of the sled dogs, who acted as companions and kin,” said Anandasangaree.

The killings, which occurred between the 1950s and 1960s, involved over 1,000 sled dogs vital to the Inuit way of life. According to a 2010 report by a retired judge, the culling was carried out "without taking into consideration the serious and difficult consequences for dog-owners and their families."

Sled dogs were essential for Inuit survival, serving as crucial partners for hunting, fishing, trapping, and transportation in the harsh northern environment. Their loss caused immense hardship for families and disrupted traditional Inuit practices.

In addition to the apology, the federal government has pledged Can$45 million (US$32 million) in compensation to the Nunavik Inuit community.

“The actions and inactions that led to the mass killing of the sled dogs inflicted deep pain and hardship on Inuit families that none should have had to endure,” Anandasangaree said.

This is not the first apology of its kind. In 2019, Canada apologized to the Nunavut Inuit for similar police actions that targeted sled dogs in an even more northern region.

The latest apology represents another step in Canada’s efforts to reconcile with Indigenous communities for past injustices and address the long-lasting impacts of colonial policies.

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