🇬🇱 Wolves, dogs, and people: A 4,000-year Arctic story from Greenland

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New research reveals enduring human-animal entanglements in the North

How do sled dogs respond when wolves come near? Why are wolves seen as moral figures in Greenlandic stories? A new research article explores 4,000 years of Arctic wolf encounters — from ancient hunting cultures to today’s communities in North Greenland.

The study, “Encounters Between Wolves, Humans, and Their Dogs in West and North Greenland,” appears in the December 2024 issue of Arctic. Drawing on archaeological material, historical sources, and 43 interviews conducted in Kalaallisut and Inuktun, the research uncovers deep cultural ties, challenges in wildlife management, and shifting animal-human relations in the High Arctic.

“You hear about wolf tracks, new every day. It is polar night, so we do not see them. The dogs howl — they can hear the wolves howling.”
– Nukagpiánguak Hendriksen, hunter, Siorapaluk

Key findings:

  • Arctic wolves are increasingly visible near settlements in Northwest Greenland.

  • In Greenlandic oral traditions, wolves appear as spiritual and moral actors.

  • Attempts to domesticate or use wolves as sled animals historically failed.

  • The study advocates for respectful, balanced wildlife governance based on both science and Indigenous/local knowledge.

🔗 Read the article (available upon request): https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic81443

Originally published on 9 June by University of Greenland.

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