Created over three years in Pond Inlet, Iqaluit, and Qikiqtarjuaq (Qik), this latest book by photographer Guadalupe Laiz focuses on the Arctic dogs, the guardians and partners to the Inuit, on Baffin Island. Stationed farthest from town, left alone on the ice to camp and watch for bears, these individuals are largely unseen and rarely photographed. They live in prolonged isolation, tethered to the sea ice on the edges of Inuit communities. Guadalupe’s stark and evocative black-and-white photographs and select colour images are simple and direct, without drama or embellishment. Throughout the book, short poetic texts are written from both the artist’s perspective and imagined points of view of the dogs themselves—voices that reflect endurance, patience, labour, and presence. Echoes of the Pack brings visibility to a remote and complex subject, shining a light on the Arctic dog—among the strongest and hardiest animals on the planet—who endure one of the harshest environments on Earth. It does so without judgment, and with respect for Inuit culture and leadership, fully acknowledging the history, hardship, and resilience of Inuit communities.
