Cultural dynamics and social representations of dogs in the Nordic village of Kuujjuaq (Nunavik) - Patricia Brunet

This talk highlights a field research carried out in Kuujjuaq (Nunavik) in September 2016. Its main objective was to draw a general portrait of the place dogs occupy in this community among Inuit and non-Inuit. If its place in traditional Inuit culture is well known and documented, the place the dog has since the Inuit have settled, are using snowmobiles and shares their living environment with non-Inuit remains poorly understood. By questioning the dog’s cultural and social place in a village where Inuit and non-Inuit are living together, this research tries to highlight the different dynamics related to dogs, to gain a better understanding of what dog is for Kuujjuamiut. This presentation concludes that resources for dogs and their management are limited and are still focused on the perspective of health and human security, and that dogs in the community occupy an oscillating position between appreciation and repulsion; a position that is defined by the context in which we found them and the functions they occupy.