Sled dogs as gifts. An ethnography of dog exchanges among kennels in Alaska.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the social relationships that develop through the circulation of sled dogs among Alaskan kennels. It is based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork at racing events, in sled dog kennels, as well as semi-structured interviews around Fairbanks. The research is informed by anthropological literature on kinship, personhood, and gift-giving economies. It examines how sled dogs are acquired and exchanged in Alaska and offers a novel perspective on the value of dog bloodlines and the relationships that unite breeders, mushers and sled dogs. The main argument is that Alaskan sled dogs are exchanged as gifts (rather than commodities) with the result that sled dog exchanges reestablish social connections between two or more kennels through the passage of the animals and their blood. The possession and ownership of specific bloodlines carries not only the genetic characteristics of the sled dog breed, but also the accomplishments of the breeder's kennel. The exchange of dogs ensures a continued cycle of interactions and cooperation within the dog mushing community. This continued cycle of dog exchanges allows for kennels to further develop and continue their breed in the mushing community. The overall findings of this work show that sled dogs, as relational gifts, are central figures within the mushing community and play a key role in creating multifaceted connections within and among kennels in Alaska.