Contemporary working relationships between humans and sled dogs in Greenland
Université de Lausanne - UNIL
Lay summary
Dog sledding practices are intertwined in complex interspecific relationships, between tradition and modernity. As societies evolve, these practices, and through them sled dogs, are subject to new meanings. Greenland is thus a relevant place for observing the changes that affect the working relationships between humans and animals. These changes include the decline of professional hunting, urbanisation and the absence of sea ice. However, while sled dog populations are decreasing, they are not disappearing, leaving room for other activities and meanings of dog sledding, particularly visible in the development of tourism and recreational activities. The project "contemporary working relationships between humans and sled dogs in Greenland" aims to document these developments in Disko Bay and the Sisimiut region. In a qualitative approach inspired by ethnography, this project will be conducted in collaboration with local people. Semi-structured interviews will allow access to the discourse in order to identify motivations and values attributed to the dogs, as well as the contemporary challenges and opportunities of the practice. Participatory observation will allow us to complete the discourse by precisely documenting interactions, the spatial context (e.g. urban environment) and events such as races. The results will provide elements of understanding of the relationship between humans and sled dogs in Greenland and can be connected in an original way to other results of the thesis project on sled dog practices in Switzerland and France.
Details
| Regional focus | Arctic |
| Location | West coast of Greenland-Town of Sisimiut and surrounding area |
| Funded amount | 6,000 CHF |
| Project dates | 1st December 2022 – 31st March 2023 |
| Category | Polar Access Fund |