When I was growing up dogs were not chained up as far as I can remember, but they started to use chains and that is what I mostly do remember. As soon as the stores came, the Inuit started to buy chains.
A long time ago dogs were not chained and they didn’t tear up the camp or do anything; they were loose then. Some Inuit had well-trained dogs long ago.
I saw the ship in these pictures you are showing me a few times. It is the Natilik. I probably was just coming home from school at the time this picture was taken; it would be around l939-40.
This brings back some memories for me. I can answer your question about dogs being chained up by remembering that when I was very young dogs were not chained up. What I mostly remember though is that once stores appeared, the Inuit started to use chains and during most of my life dogs were chained.
Long ago dogs were not chained up and they didn’t tear up camps, nor do anything bad. They were simply on the loose. Some Inuit had well-trained dogs long ago. The story I will tell comes from this long ago time.
It was known that Ukkunaaluk could ly. He would ly to people and visit them during the winter and spring seasons. He could ly, and he was very smart. Inuit had said that people had seen him lying.
He would drop in between the tents, in the cleanest areas. Every time he dropped, he would then realize where he was after observing the people’s tracks and where they led.
Sometimes he would be able to see where the seals closest to an iglu were. It was told that Ukkunaak liked to visit while he was lying about. His plane would not fall because he was known to be brave. I have heard about this. His plane would ly him around with him realizing where he was going.
One time he went visiting and then he lew over a herd of muskox and as he was lying he saw the herds. When he landed where the Inuit were, he said to them, “There is a herd of muskox close by, be sure to see them.” As they began to look for them and when they reached them, the herds were a great distance away. When Ukkunaak was lying like a plane he thought the herds were close by, but really they were too far away for the Inuit to reach them easily. Because he could ly Ukkunaak thought that the muskox were close by.
The End.