So excited for this morning's keynote at #NWTRPA2019! Father-daughter duo Scott McQueen and Jordee Reid will be speaking the history of dog mushing in the North. 
Indigenous peoples in different parts of Canada including the North have a long history with sled dogs, but it's a history that has often been overlooked. Jordee notes that dog mushers often choose to spend their time with animals for a reason (that got a laugh!). #NWTRPA2019
Both Scott and Jordee were raised with sled dogs. Scott had a more traditional experience with sled dogs. His family used dogs for transportation + harvesting. Jordee grew up with dog sledding as recreation + sport. So they have had different experiences with dogs. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee connects their presentation to last year's NWTRPA conference theme, Intergenerational Connections, noting the importance of passing the knowledge of mushing between generations. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Northern people, but especially Indigenous people, have long history of using sled dogs. Dogs were invaluable for their survival. Different groups developed dogs that suited their climates/landscapes. Alaskans, for example, developed the Alaskan malamute. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Around the Talston River, where I grew up, people developed a breed of dog that came to known as the Talston River Huskie. They were initially used as pack dogs; they carried supplies on their back. Later, they trained them to run as a team. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: As a young boy, I was aware that everyone wanted to have a good dog team because they ensured a better quality of life. Able to harvest more furs, catch more fish, etc. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Sled dogs were just a part of our daily life, all year round. In the summer, they travelled on shore with the trapper. The dogs always got excited when the temperature started to drop in the fall because they found summer boring. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: In the fall time, we would travel up the Talston River as a family and the dogs would come along. They helped on portages as we travelled. When we arrived to our cabin, they played an important role in hunting and trapping. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: There were no limits to our travel when we had dog teams. Our fuel was everywhere. There was fish, caribou, etc. When snowmobiles arrived, our people had to stay closer to communities because that's where our fuel was now. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: In the spring time, we returned to town with the dogs. We would return to the bush for the spring hunt, but the dogs came with us. They were part of our families. This was the life of trappers when I was growing up. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Dog teams were used by government as well. They were used to deliver mail, for example. Doctors would do medical visits by dog team. Not all of these stories are good ones. There is a very sad story about the Lost Patrol of the RCMP. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Rene Fumoleau just passed away. He was asked what he wanted to be remembered for. He said, "I want to be remembered for having good dogs." #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Dog teams were used during the Yukon Gold Rush. They were played a role in the development of the Canol Pipeline in the 1940s. They were vital to mining development in the North, as well. Dog teams are such an important part of our history. #NWTRPA2019
Scott is showing delegates pictures of dog teams that he grew up with and he can name every single dog in the teams! #NWTRPA2019
Scott: In 1955, they started a sled dog race in Yellowknife called the Canadian Championship Dog Derby. Organized by the Yellowknife Fish and Game Association. It was mostly local mushers, prizes were from local business. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: When travelling on the land, usually the musher with the best dog team would break trail for the others. This lead team would stop occasionally + set up a "tea camp," a temporary camp for having a fire + cup of tea. Getting to the camp early a sign of prowess. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Sled dogs eat a lot of food. We mostly sled them fish, Trout and cony were the best meat for the dogs. In the spring, we might also feed them beaver. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: My dad, Danny, won the Canadian Championship Dog Derby in 1963. Part of his prize was a free trip for him, his family, and the dogs to the Calgary Stampede! I was born in 1964, so I like to say that I was there...in a sense. :) #NWTRPA2019
Scott: Big decision to attend the derbies. Our cabin was a three day travel from the south shore of Great Slave Lake. From there it was either a long and dangerous one-day trip to Yellowknife or two days along the shore with an overnight on the lake. #NWTRPA2019
Scott shared a story about his family travelling through a storm once and the dogs were able to find an old camp spot they used. Mushers trusted their dogs to take them through inclement weather. #NWTRPA2019
Scott: By 1967, people were using Bombardiers/snowmobiles more often. The decline of sled dog usage was reflected in the decline of the dog derby. When the derby returned in the 1970s, it was more as a sport. Before that participants mostly trappers, like my father.#NWTRPA2019
Jordee: People increasingly chose snowmobiles and trucks over dog teams, but they maintained a connection with dogs. People relied on dogs for their survival; it has been very difficult to break that connection. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: The main reason people have dogs today is to keep the Indigenous culture of dog mushing alive, though it also has mental health benefits and physical benefits. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: It costs about $25,000-$30,000/year to run a 60-dog kennel like ours. My uncle likes to say, "It's the fastest way to turn money into shit." #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: I'm going to start with a year in the life of the modern dog musher. Spring and summer in the dog lot is puppy time! We breed our own dogs. Raising them from puppies is so important to developing a connection with the dogs. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: Training step number one: spend time with the puppies! Touch them lots. Then let them play, run, chase, so they can figure out how their bodies work. Dogs quickly learn how to outrun us, so then we start free running with them using a quad bc humans too slow. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee is doing some dog education for the audience because her family often encounters animal rights activists who don't understand the process of raising and caring for dogs. For example, dogs aren't underfed; they are lean. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: Dogs are social animals. They like being together, but they also have issues within the pack. We tether dogs so they can reach the dogs they get along with, but also escape the dogs they don't have a good relationship with. Tether = choice. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: Maintaining the dog lot is a lot of work. Maintenance is also done in the summer, while we are socializing the puppies. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: We start exercising the dogs in the fall, once the temperature drops below 10 degrees. They can hurt their respiratory system if they exercise in the summer. Dogs live to run, so as their "coaches" we choose to not train until it's safe for them. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: First up is strength training. Important that the dogs build muscle mass for endurance later in the season. They start by pulling the quad in neutral. 4 miles at first and then moving up incrementally. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: We spend a lot of work preparing food. We feed the dogs a mix of raw meat (chicken, beef, and beef fat) and kibble. Fat content super important for dogs. It's how they run their furnace. Colder days require more fat. Also, shovel a lot of poop! #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: When the lakes freeze, it's time to start mushing. They go from the dog lot to a stake out chain and then into their harnesses. Traditionally, they had hide harnesses and then leather and now nylon. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: Trapline dog teams ran in a single line. Makes sense because they are travelling through the bush. We run our dogs in double line now. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee is describing the sensory experience of running a dog team (just the sounds of the sled on the snow, the dogs breathing, etc.), which is totally different than travelling by snowmachine. Dog teams allow for peace and tranquility. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: The future of dog mushing can be a little bit grim. It's a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of work. You can't just pick up a book and learn how to run a team of dogs. You have to work with someone (Elder or parent with a young person). #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: I am always encouraging other mushers to take on young people as mentees, so they can learn the sport + we can carry on this tradition. Learning how to run dogs involves traditional forms of education. Learning by watching + doing in relationship w/ older ppl. #NWTRPA2019
Question about prize money for dog races. Prize might be $10,000, but kennels are so expensive that all of that money just ends up going back into kennels. Money is just musher recognition. Allows them to keep their dog teams. #NWTRPA2019
Jordee: Racing keeps the lifestyle of dog mushing alive. Dog mushing isn't like hockey. You can't hang up your skates in the summer. You have the dogs all year round. #NWTRPA2019
