The Canadian government has apologized for the killings of thousands of sled dogs decades ago.

Between 1950 and 1975, Inuit in the Baffin region were moved from mobile camps to permanent communities.

It was claimed by authorities that sled dogs proved a hazard so the government required owners to muzzle and chain the animals. An inquiry in 2010 found that it became easier for authorities to just shoot the dogs instead of enforcing the ordinances.

In Iqaluit yesterday, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett said the government made a mistake by assuming it knew what was best for Inuit people.

“We have and will learn from these great errors,” Bennett said Wednesday.

“We are committed to ensuring our future is different from our past. We apologize to Qikiqtani Inuit for the deep and lasting effects this has had in their lives and in their communities.”

The inquiry investigated if there was a conspiracy to kill the dogs in order to keep Inuit from moving freely. The inquiry interviewed hundreds of people that were impacted and concluded that there was no such conspiracy, but that the large number of dog deaths negatively impacted the communities.

Qikiqtani Inuit Association's president PJ Akeeagok accepted Bennett's apology on behalf of the people.