Human-Dog Relationships in Northern Canada

This study took place in two Indigenous communities and one administrative municipality located in northern Quebec, Canada: Kawawachikamach (KWW), Matimekush-Lac John (MLJ), and Schefferville (SCH). KWW is the only Naskapi community in Canada and is located 15 km from MLJ and SCH. MLJ is an Innu community surrounded by the territory of SCH (Figure 1A). They are located above the 54th parallel and can only be reached by train or plane (Figure 1B). According to the last census in 2016, the population is 601 inhabitants in KWW (28 ), 613 in MLJ (29 ), and 155 in SCH (30 ). Indigenous people represent 99.2% of inhabitants in KWW (28 ), 94.3% in MLJ (29 ), and 48.4% in SCH (30 ).
Naskapi from KWW are under the James Bay and Northern Québec agreement. This agreement between governments of Quebec and Canada and some Indigenous nations was signed in order to redefine the organization of the territory and its administration (31 ). Innu from MLJ are under the Indian Act. Only beneficiary Indigenous communities of the James Bay and Northern Québec agreement, either Inuit, Cree and Naskapi, are illegible for the Quebec government vaccination program for northern communities for the protection of dogs against rabies (32 ).
This study was part of a larger project called Balancing Illness and Wellness at the Human-Dog Interface in Northern Canada, which aims to investigate the relationships between dogs, humans and their respective health in Canada, using the “two-eyes” model that combines Indigenous knowledge and Western science. It also aims to propose, implement and evaluate solutions to reduce the risks at the human-dog interface while promoting the positive roles of dogs on human health. The research team received the approval and support of the Naskapi community of KWW, the community of MLJ, and the town of SCH, as part of the global project.