23/08/2022
QIMMEQ - The Greenland Sled Dog
The Greenland sled dog is unique in every way. The dog is the oldest known domesticated animal, and dog sledding is the world’s oldest working dog culture. Moreover, genetic research shows that the Greenland sled dog is the most “primeval” type of dog, the type that shares the greatest number of characteristics with the common forefather of both the wolf and the dog, which lived more than 30,000 years ago. The dog would have been a loyal companion to the first people migrating to Greenland, 4,500 years ago, and has been a significant factor in terms of survival in adverse conditions ever since.
The Greenland sled dog is not only an animal of the past, however, but a very important element of a living cultural heritage that is widely practised today. Dog sledding is used in connection with hunting and fishing, recreational activities, and not least in immensely popular dog sled races. The sled dog has become an integrated and defining part of Greenland identity. But, it is becoming an endangered species in Greenland, where the number of dogs has more than halved in the past two to three decades.
Sermiligaaq, East Greenland, April 2022
