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Ivakkak

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The Ivakkak is an annual long-distance sled dog race that follows a variable route through different communities in Nunavik, Canada. Launched in 2001 to promote traditional dogsledding and to revive the endangered Canadian Inuit Dog, only purebred Inuit mushers are eligible.

History

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Canadian Inuit Dogs

Powerfully built with thick fur enabling them to endure harsh, freezing temperatures, Canadian Inuit Dogs are capable of carrying heavy loads as they travel great distances across the vast, endless tundra.[1] Whether pulling a sled or running alongside their owners, these dogs enabled the Inuit to cover great distances in search of game to feed their families, and to transport heavy loads.[1] While snowmobiles are known for their "speed and capacity" in comparison to a dog sled,[2] a strong team of sled dogs is still considered reliable, as well as invaluable as guides.[3] Also considered culturally significant, these dogs often find their way better than any GPS, even in the most extreme whiteout conditions.[3][4] Between 1950 and 1970, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) slaughtered an estimated 1,200 to 20,000 Inuit sled dogs, an event that severely disrupted the Inuit way of life.[5][6]

With the aim of bringing dogs back to Nunavik after the RCMP killings, the Inuit-representing corporation Makivvik launched Ivakkak in 2001.[3][7] Named by Johnny Watt, the Nunavik Governor at the time and an experienced musher who delivered measles vaccines by dogsled in the 1950s, Ivakkak is Inuit for "when the dogs are at their best pace."[8][9] The first Ivakkak started in Umiujaq and followed along the coast of the Hudson Bay, passing through Inukjuak before ending in Puvirnituq. 82 mushers competed in the first year, racing 275 miles (443 km).[3]

Structure and route

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Only Inuit mushers and purebred Canadian Inuit Dogs are eligible to participate in Ivakkak, following a route and mileage that changes every year.[10][11] In 2016, the route took mushers approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi) from Umiujaq to Ivujivik.[8] In 2022, the race was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic, with some communities holding a much smaller 64 kilometres (40 mi) race without Makivvik involvement.[12] Due to poor snow conditions, the 2024 race route was modified to go from Umiujaq to Puvirnituq, with a stop in Inukjuak. The new route covers a total of approximately 410 kilometres (250 mi), compared to the previous route's 385 kilometres (239 mi).[11] In 2025, the route was 328 kilometres (204 mi), starting in Kangiqsualujjuaq and finishing in Tasiujaq.[7]

Inuit mushers using a fan hitch and a qamutiik

Unlike other sled dog races like the Iditarod, where sled dogs race along trails, Ivakkak mushers participate in pairs use a wider sled known as a qamutiik to cross the tundra.[13][14] Dogs are hooked to the sled using a traditional fan hitch, a design where each dog has its own line.[8] Due to the extreme cold of the region, with temperatures hovering around −40 °C (−40 °F), mushers often run beside their sled to warm up. Some mushers can lose up to 20 pounds (9.1 kg) during the race.[7] Blizzard conditions are common during the race and teams must navigate through high winds and caribou migrations.[15]

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The 2015 Canadian documentary film, Okpik's Dream chronicles the story of Harry Okpik, an Inuit man from Quaqtaq, who witnessed the government slaughter of Inuit sled dogs as a child and later lost his leg in a hunting accident, and now prepares to compete in the Ivakkak sled dog race.[16][17]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mushing.

References

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  1. ^ a b Chester, Sharon (2016). The Arctic Guide: Wildlife of the Far North. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-0-691-13974-6.
  2. ^ Tester, Frank James (2010). "Mad dogs and (mostly) Englishmen: Colonial relations, commodities, and the fate of Inuit sled dogs" (PDF). Études/Inuit/Studies. 34 (2): 142. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ivakkak – About the Race". Ivakkak. 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  4. ^ Tester, Frank James (2010). "Mad dogs and (mostly) Englishmen: Colonial relations, commodities, and the fate of Inuit sled dogs" (PDF). Études/Inuit/Studies. 34 (2): 132, 134. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  5. ^ Makin, Kirk (2005-07-09). "What really happened to the Inuit sled dogs?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  6. ^ Gjerstad, Ole; Sanguya, Joelie (2010). Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths (documentary film). National Film Board of Canada.
  7. ^ a b c Gallant, Cedric (2025-02-27). "Mushers kick off Ivakkak race". The Hamilton Spectator. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  8. ^ a b c "153 dogs, 650 km: Ivakkak sled dog race kicks off in northern Quebec". CBC News. 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  9. ^ Rowe, Daniel J. (2021-01-20). "Man who once delivered measles vaccine by dogsled becomes first in Nunavik to get Moderna vaccine". CTVNews. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  10. ^ "Rules and Regulations of the Ivakkak Dogsled Race" (PDF). Makivvik Corporation: 3. 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Ivakkak race changes route due to safety concerns over poor conditions". Nunatsiaq News. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  12. ^ "Five teams compete in Kuujjuaq's 'mini Ivakkak' race". Nunatsiaq News. 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  13. ^ Hinchey, Garrett (2016-04-03). "2016 Ivakkak sled dog race underway in Nunavik". CBC News. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  14. ^ "Runners of Mud and Ice: The Historic Qamutiik - Mushing". 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  15. ^ "Nunavik dogsled race, plagued by winter storms, ends with hometown victory". CBC News. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  16. ^ "Okpik's Dream, Nunavik dog sled documentary, wins award". CBC News. 2015-08-12. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  17. ^ Rogers, Sarah (2016-02-01). "New documentary follows the hopes and dreams of Nunavik musher". Nunatsiaq Online. Archived from the original on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
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