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QIA considers dog slaughter inquiry

JANE GEORGE

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association is considering the creation of a “truth commission” to look into the slaughter of Inuit sled dogs in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

The three-year, $2-million commission is one way Inuit can ensure that events during this period, such as the dog slaughter, are systematically investigated, documented and recorded, says a memo prepared on this option by Iqaluit lawyer Paul Crowley.

A “truth commission” or a “truth and reconciliation commission” is a commission that uncovers wrongdoing by a government in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past.

“A QIA sponsored truth commission appears to be an appropriate tool to investigate the human rights abuses against Inuit during the colonial period. Care must be taken to set it up and provide it with sufficient resources to ensure that it will be credible and legitimate in the eyes not only of Inuit, but of all Canadians,” reads the memo on the truth commission, handed out to board members at this week’s QIA annual general meeting in Iqaluit.

The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission established by Nelson Mandela is generally considered to be a model for such commissions, which have also been held in several other nations. This commission involved black and white, government leaders past and present, and members of the public, who all had something to say about South Africa’s former policy of apartheid.

The QIA, thanks to dividends supplied by Qikiqtaaluk Corp. and a $160,000 surplus this year, has some money to invest in its own commission on the slaughter of Inuit sled dogs in the Eastern Arctic, which continues to be a source of painful memories for many.

Terry Audla, QIA’s executive director, said the goal of the Truth Commission would be to set the historical record on the dog slaughters straight.

“We trying to regain our own history,” Audla said.

The QIA is also looking for partnering with Makivik Corp. and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. on the commission.

While governments usually set up truth commissions, “nothing need stop QIA from sponsoring a commission,” says the memo.

To be credible, however, the commission needs a strong process, commissioners and staff: “the broader the participation, not only of Inuit but also of concerned government representatives, the better the process is likely to be.”

A QIA-sponsored commission could look at the dog slaughter to include relocations or “all possible transgressions” from that period.

But Crowley recommends a clear mandate for the commissioners. A panel of three, with one as chief commissioner, possibly a non-Inuk or someone not from the region, could be sufficient, he suggests.

The truth commission process tries to heal relations between opposing sides, by uncovering facts, separating truth from lies and allowing for acknowledgment, public mourning, forgiveness and healing.

Truth commissions usually offer amnesty to “perpetrators” who provide testimony — in this case, it would be protection from civil law suits.

The process would include a pre-hearing investigation in each community to produce a likely list of witnesses. A pre-hearing report would set out the details for the hearings and include an archival report.

This would be used in public hearings held in each community. The post-hearing report would include testimony, follow-up research and preliminary conclusions. All hearing reports would go into this final report.

A written report usually communicates the results of a commission, says the memo, although this report could be supplemented by radio or television documentaries and be used to develop a school curriculum on its findings.

An understanding of what communities expect and solid communication is the key to a successful commission: “while it is important that a commission engages in the activities that are seen as crucial for its purpose, be it truth telling or reconciliation, it may be even more important that a commission does not create false expectations.”

No decision on whether or not QIA will be spearheading a commission will come before the RCMP issues its own final report on the dog slaughters. In its interim report, the RCMP said “there is no evidence of an organized mass slaughter of Inuit sled dogs by RCMP members in Nunavik and Nunavut between 1950 and 1970.”

Meanwhile, the QIA is giving $25,000 to Piksuk Media Inc. to help with the production of a video on the dog slaughters.

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