Canadian Eskimos will receive compensation for police actions that led to the deaths of sled dogs over the years (video).

Local Canadian authorities have acknowledged the mass killings of sled dogs belonging to the Inuit tribe during the 1950s and 1960s, and have committed to compensating with a total of 45 million Canadian dollars (about $32 million). This was reported by Canadian broadcaster Global News.

The media states that local police killed all unchained dogs. At that time, law enforcement justified this action by safety concerns, as schools for the Indigenous peoples of Northern Canada were being built in the Nunavik region.

According to a local dog regulation that existed since 1929, dogs were prohibited from roaming freely in certain areas, and the police were authorized to seize and euthanize stray animals if their owners did not claim them. Up until 1966, owners could be warned about such actions, and local Indigenous individuals could pay a fine to retrieve their pets; however, after that, dogs deemed a threat could be killed without prior notice.

Journalists point out that locals were very dissatisfied with the government's actions, viewing them as attempts at forced assimilation and the imposition of a sedentary lifestyle. The Inuit tribes had always relied on dogs for various needs—from transportation in sleds to hunting and fishing. Due to the aggressive dog extermination policy, locals found themselves cut off from living on their lands and were forced to settle in permanent communities.

"The federal government takes responsibility for its role in the killing of dogs. During the 1950s and 1960s, federal officials were aware of the dog slaughter and allowed it to continue, knowing that the lifestyle, health, and well-being of the Inuit depended on dogs," said Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Indigenous Relations.

The media indicates that back in 2010, former Quebec Superior Court Justice Jean-Jacques Croteau published a report on police actions regarding the extermination of dogs. The document stated that law enforcement killed at least 1,000 dogs in Nunavik, "not understanding their significance to Inuit families." Croteau also discovered that the Canadian government did not intervene in this process or condemn the behavior of local police, nor did it inform about the risks of vaccination for dogs, as many locals claimed that numerous dogs could have died from complications.

Currently, the federal government has fully acknowledged its guilt in the inadequate oversight regarding dogs for the Inuit. Therefore, Canadian authorities have officially apologized to the local Indigenous peoples for their actions and promised to provide compensation. All funds will be used for the rehabilitation of dog sled management and "everything necessary" for this—from training and food to enclosures for protecting the dogs.

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