Defender Radio: The Podcast For Wildlife Advocates And Animal Lovers

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW, has a campaign called the Northern Dogs Project. On the face of it, the program is straightforward: assist remote First Nations communities in Quebec and Canada to live with dogs in a positive way and manage populations humanely. But it’s a lot more than that – and it has less to do with dogs than you may think. Jan Hannah, manager of the Northern Dogs Project, joined Defender Radio to discuss the project, the history of working with Cree and Anishinaabe communities, and why it matters that as advocates we focus on listening. Before we get to the interview, I want to acknowledge how sensitive a subject this is. Colonialism and intergenerational trauma are subjects I don’t have a firm grasp on as I have not studied or researched extensively in this area, nor had the opportunity to be immersed in this culture. I do understand that they impact the lives of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people and society significantly. The reason I wanted to do this episode is