Qimmiq: Canada's Arctic Dog

1981

24min

The Eskimo dog--the Qimmiq--has been an integral part of northern Canadian life for almost two thousand years. Archival photographs and film footage illustrate how this hard-working purebred was used for hunting, pulling sleds and keeping polar bears at bay. However, by 1975, the breed, decimated by a changing northern lifestyle, was all but extinct. This inspiring documentary shows the dedicated efforts of biologist Dr. William Carpenter to revitalize the strain and how, with support from local Inuit societies, his breeding project has resulted in a growing and once again thriving Qimmiq population.