How Reliant Have The Eskimo People Traditionally Been On Husky Dogs?
Traditionally the Eskimo people have depended heavily on his “husky” dogs, a breed that have furry outer hair and another coat of fine hair close to the skin that prevents them from ever getting “soaked to the skin.” These dogs have been used to pull three different kinds of sleds. The komatik is the largest, sometimes being twenty-two feet in length. This sled is usually pulled by a team of nine dogs, sometimes fan-hitched or in pairs, with the lead dog out in front by himself. In addition, toboggans have been used that have canvas sides and two wooden posts at the rear for steering. These are pulled by from three to five dogs. And yet another type of conveyance is the basket sleigh. This is raised off the ground by means of runners. Side rails are provided for protecting the load and to give the driver handholds. Without their faithful dogs, the Eskimo would have been far less mobile.
