THE QIMMIIT KILLINGS

Quiet Canines Podcast · Aug 27, 2026 · 3m

The RCMP tried to cover this up. We all know about the devastating impacts of residential schools, but there’s another dark chapter of Canadian history. Between 1950 and 1975, colonial authorities and the RCMP systematically slaughtered thousands of Inuit sled dogs, known as Qimmiit. This was not about animal control. The Canadian government targeted the core relationships of Indigenous societies to dismantle their independence and reshape the North.

For millennia, the Qimmiq was the backbone of Arctic survival. These dogs were not pets; they were equal partners, providing vital…