According to exercise psychologists, we humans have a lot in
common with dogs when it comes to our genes. If a man can run the way dogs do,
they can soon develop an army of super soldiers who can go for long and fast
sprints and then make a quick recovery.
Even, though humans can never compare to dogs and burn
energy the way they do, we can still learn a lot from the undisputed winter
race kings, the sled dogs.
The sled dogs have been part of the human race, our culture
and history from over thousand of years. They have coexisted with the humans in
the icy cold regions of Siberia and Northern America.
The earliest instance noted of man using sled dogs for
pulling sleigh dates back to A.D 1000. The people in the North Pole have used
dogs for commerce and trade forever and these dogs have always been a part of
their lives.
Historically, there have been two breeds of sled dogs, the
Interior Village dog, used by the people settled in the inland of the North Pole,
called the Athabascan. The second breed known to have co-existed with the humans
was the Native Village breed that was used by Inuit and Thule people in
Canada’s coastal region. The Alaskan Husky is believed to belong to the same
breed as the Native Village dog.
The legacy of the sled dogs has led to the formation of a
romanticized perception about its history. They have been a topic of curiosity
and discussion for many groups and individual like the United States Military
and the various animal activists. These groups have traced the legacy of the
sled dogs to the sub culture of Alaska. In sharp contrast to this legacy is the
book “Soldiers and Sled Dog” from the author Charles L. Dean. In his book Dean
highlights the use of sled dogs in wars.
There has been other popular notion regarding the sled dogs,
especially the likes of Siberian Huskies, “Mush!” Toboggans, fur, Balto and
Susan Butcher and the Iditarod. These notions popularly related the sled dog to
the region of Alaska and its culture. The common idea formed about the sled
dogs and its relation with humans was that of their fight for survival against
the wild. One such representation of the sled dogs role is the statue of
“Balto” in Central Park that symbolizes the dog’s bravery in transporting the
life saving serum diphtheria antitoxin in 1925 to Nome. It was an isolated town
that was only accessible by a sled dog.
Among very few authors, it was Charles L. Dean who produced
an in-depth assessment of the sled dogs operational use. Dean cites the
military document that he discovered form department of war, titled “Basic
Field Manual, Dog Team Transportation”.
Dean in his book cites the idea of working dogs that have
been in use ever since the Gold Rush era. According to Dean, the use of sled dogs
has been a part of the human origin from over thousand of years. He exclaims
that the heroic feats that the sled dogs achieved during the second World War
was something that no other race or breed of domestic animal could ever
achieve.
Charles Dean in his book further reveals that American
military sled dog did not evolve in Alaska. It rather originated in New
Hampshire and in fact, Alaska was not the only state that had a dog sledding
history.
7 Reasons Sled Dogs Are Part of Human Culture
1.
The partnership of the sled dogs with the humans
could be traced back to over 4000 years. According to experts it would have
been impossible for humans to survive in Arctic without the co-operation of the
sled dogs.
2.
In the Southwest, United States today, the
Spanish first encountered the Indians using the sled dogs for pulling the
travois.
3.
In many cultures in North America, the sled dogs
shared an integral relationship with the Indians. They were part of their lifestyle
and even their recreational activities were centered around the sled dogs.
4.
The fun and friendly recreational activity of
human and the sled dogs date back to the time when the humans were culturally
depended on these dogs for their survival.
5.
The Iditarod race that is famous today in
Arctic, Siberia and North America has been traced back to the 18th
century. The first documented instance of a race involving sled dogs took place
in the 1850’s when travellers enjoyed an informal challenge between Winnipeg
and St. Paul.
6.
Even today, in the cold icy climate of North
Pole and South Pole sled dogs and humans co-exist. If not for the sled dogs it
would have been impossible for any trace of human race to be found in these icy
cold regions.
7.
These dogs have helped humans by completing
crucial tasks in the past. They were used for transportation of food supplies
and ammunition during the time of war. They also helped in laying down wires as
long as up to 20 feet deep for the soldiers to communicate. The sled dogs were
also used for rescue operations like finding the pilot of a downed plane. The
endurance capacity of the sled dogs could not be compared to any other domestic
animal in the icy terrains.
A project funded by the Pentagon is researching on the
possibilities of making humans like sled dogs in terms of strength and
endurance. Mike Davis, who is scientist from Oklahoma veterinary department
claims that there is no doubt about it that there is some similarity between
the humans and the dogs.
Today it may seem that the use of sled dog for
transportation has become obsolete with humans now doing space travel. But one
cannot beat the fact that sled dogs still are and always will be far superior
then any technologically advanced aircraft. Sled dogs do not ask for spare
parts or repairs and they will always be men’s best friend!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reference:
Dean, Charles L. Soldier’s and Sled Dogs. London:
University of Nebraska Press, 2005.
NAIA Library
http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/article/sled-dogs-are-part-of-human-culture-and-history#sthash.YrKxGXff.dpbs
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