As discussed in the July/August 2001 issue, there was much contact between the Kamschadals, Koryaks, Iukagirs, and to a lesser extent, the Chukchis, by the early 1800’s.  Written accounts of the time indicate that active trade, including dogs, was occurring in the area during the century.  Reindeer, Dogs, & Snowshoes, Tent Life in Siberia, and Siberian Klondike give excellent details.

Of the indigenous Siberian peoples, the Chukchi were the most likely to keep their dogs relatively pure, particularly those in the most isolated villages along the coast well east of the Kolyma River, and on the coast at North Cape.  Their image among other indigenous peoples of being “warlike” enhanced their ability to resist outside control and limit its influence to a point.  And so it was, under the conditions existing in northeast Siberia in the early 1900’s, that the first documented importations of our breed occurred.     

There were several large importations of Siberian dogs to North America - all,  save the last, were to the Nome area on the Seward Peninsula.  In the fall of 1908, the year of the first All Alaska Sweepstakes, the first Siberian dogs arrived.  A Russian fur trader, William Goosak, brought at least ten dogs to Nome from the Anadyr Gulf area of Siberia, which would indicate the dogs were of Chukchi origin.  These dogs competed in the 1909 All Alaska Sweepstakes, finishing 3rd.  They impressed one of the other competitors, Fox Maule Ramsey, the person behind the next importation.     

This is part of Goosak’s1909 All Alaska Sweepstakes team. These dogs were included in the first known significant importation of Siberian dogs. They came from the Anadyr Gulf area-probably Chukchi origin. Lomen Bros. Photo-Norris Collection

In the late summer of 1909, Ramsey, along with Iver Olsen, crossed the Bering Strait and went up the Anadyr River to Markovo - a distance of 250 miles inland, to acquire dogs.  Markovo is situated at point where the lands of the Koryak, Iukagir, and Chukchi overlap, making the town an important trading center.  The exact number of dogs acquired by Ramsey and Olsen differ by account - from 40 to 60 - and we may never know precisely.  What were the origins of these dogs?  We have no documentation, but we do have some good leads.     

Charles Johnson’s 1912 All Alaska Sweepstakes team in the starting chute, Nome, AK. All of these dogs were from the 1909 Ramsey importation from Markovo. Compare with the team used in Kamchatka by the Palsi expedition of 1917-19. H.G. Kaiser photo

Markovo is quite a distance from the lands inhabited by the maritime (dog) Chukchi.  The time was late summer, precluding travel by dog team. The majority of the people residing at Markovo would have been Koryak and Iukagir, but as was discussed in the previous article, there was much trading between these peoples and the Kamschadals living farther south. Were these dogs pure Koryak or Iukagir?  Probably not by this point in time. Look closely at Charles Johnson’s 1912 All Alaska Sweepstakes team - all dogs from the Ramsey acquisition.  Now look at the photograph of the Siberian team of the Palsi expedition of 1917-1919, taken in the northern Kamchatka region.  Note the similarities in build, markings, and coat.  One could easily make a good case for the dogs in these two photographs coming from the same area. Dogs of the Kamchatka/Koryak area generally appear slightly leggier-taller than Chukchi dogs.  Additionally, most Koryak dogs had bobbed (docked) tails, a practice the Chukchi people did not adhere to. It is for these reasons I feel the vast majority of the dogs included in the Ramsey/Olsen importation were of primarily Koryak, Kamschadal, and Iukagir origin.     

The next importation occurred in 1911.  John Johnson, one of Fox Maule Ramsey¹s hired mushers and the winner of the 1910 All Alaska Sweepstakes, returned to Siberia to acquire more dogs.  He went to the East Cape area and brought back 14 dogs.  East Cape is/was a relatively isolated Chukchi region - these dogs were likely Chukchi.     

The first documented importation of dogs directly from Kamchatka occurred in 1914.  That summer, Captain Olsen brought, from Petropavlosk, at least eight dogs for Leonhard Seppala.  Seppala had become involved with the Siberian dogs in 1913, entering the All Alaska Sweepstakes with a Siberian team in 1914.  Amongst these Kamchatka dogs was Seppala’s famous leader, Russky, who sported a bobbed tail.     

This is Russky, a Leonhard Seppala dog imported from Petropavlosk in the summer of 1914. He went on to become one of Sepp’s best leaders, running co-lead with Scotty to win the 1915-1917 All Alaska Sweepstakes. Note the bobbed tail, a practice used by Koryak peoples. Also note the longer coat, and longer body in relation to height. Seppala-Hanks Collection

Seppala has written that he imported Siberian dogs from all parts of Siberia.  He had this to say about the dogs from various areas, “I have imported dogs from many parts of Eastern Siberia.  I have found that they vary somewhat in size - the largest ones I got from Petropavlovsk and Kamchatka - some weighed 65 pounds.  Dogs from Anadir River were slightly smaller - the largest approx between 55 and 60 pounds.  Around East Cape they were smaller, averaging about 45 pounds.  Kolima River, they would go about 60 pounds, more or less - I am referring to males.  That is as near as I can remember now.”  (1949)  Evidently many of these mentioned imports consisted of just a few dogs, and there are no records of them save the 1927 importation by Olaf Swenson. In September, 1927, Olaf Swenson brought back from Ryrkaypiy, a Chukchi settlement located on North Cape, four dogs - 2 males

and 2 females.  These dogs were imported to Seppala at Nome.  The next month, Sepp went to New England on his second visit.  There is no doubt these four dogs accompanied him, as he traveled to Poland Spring with 20 dogs, most likely all the Siberians he had left in Nome.     

The last and, for impact on today’s Siberian, most important importation occurred in 1930.  Peg Ricker, co-owner with Sepp, of the Siberian kennel at Poland Spring, Maine, contracted in 1929 with Olaf Swenson, the well-known fur trader, for the acquisition of 8 Siberian dogs. There is an excellent account of this voyage and wintering over in the ice of the sloop Nanuk in John Tanner’s book Alaskan Trails, Siberian Dogs. Swenson acquired a complete team of 8 Chukchi dogs from the village of Ryrkaypiy, at the North Cape of Siberia.  This team was used as a work team by the crew of the iced-in sloop during the winter of 1929-1930.  When the ice broke up, the dogs were loaded on the ship, taken to Seattle (arriving the 2nd week of October, 1930), and sent by railroad to Maine. Unfortunately, of the 8 dogs, only three survived.  The other five (Minka, Beloglazii, Brandii, Burka, and Cherousii) succumbed to leptospirosis, a common disease at the time. Of the three survivors, two are very important to the gene pool of our breed - Kreevanka and Tserko - both males.  The other dog, also a male, was named Volchok - there are no breeding records on this dog.  

In the final article, we will explore the influence the various imports have had on the breed, get a feel for how many there were, and what happened to them.  Stay tuned!   

A copy of the receipt, written for Olaf Swenson, for four dogs. It is dated 9-17-27 and signed by Gust Hewikson-Swenson’s agent in Nome. The text:”Received from Leonhard Seppala $140.00 one hundred and forty dollars Paid in full for 4 Siberian dogs (two males and two females) brought from Siberia on the “Nanuk”.

In this photo, we see two of the three surviving dogs from the final Siberian importation. On the far left is Kreevanka. At the far right (dark dog) is Tserko. These two dogs were imported by Peg Ricker directly to Poland Spring, Maine in the fall of 1930. They were part of an eight-dog work team acquired by Olaf Swenson in the village of Ryrkaypiy on the North Cape, Siberia. This photograph was taken at Laconia, N.H. in 1934. Achber photo-Chadwick collection