Keep Growing

I'm going to be honest with you. When I search Manchurian spitz (which I had not heard of prior to this ask) the only thing I get are AI generated articles about Argentine polar dogs or photos of American Chinese food and no concrete sources, which if there is one I'd be happy to look at, but I cannot find anything reputable indicating this was a dog, even from Spanish language resources. I have searched my dog sledding history facebook groups, which can be hit or miss and again (seriously though old dog people are just spewing dog history that is going to easily be lost on private fb groups and i feel like we need to archive things asap), nothing. I would welcome anybody to provide me sources prior to 2020, especially physical books (be it in Spanish or English, I can read either).

Additionally I am also having similar troubles finding concrete sources about Argentine Polar Dogs as a distinct dog separate from the other Antarctic dogs on bases/stations at the time (the amount of time i spent searching through Argentine dog facebook groups dedicated to dogs of this era that had discussions with people that actually worked at the Argentine research stations with the dogs is shameful lmao). The people I read comments from online that worked with dogs at antarctic bases did mention trading dogs with other bases for genetic diversity so I would personally classify them all a distinct genetic strain of Greenland Dog.

Pretty much all sled dogs in Antarctica, especially from the period of 1950s-1990s were mixed dogs with a majority Greenland Dog ancestry along with Canadian Inuit Dog, Alaskan Malamute (which is a mix of Canadian Inuit Dog/Greenland Dog ancestry anyways) and small amounts of smaller sled breeds such as Siberians or Samoyeds (neither of these two were hearty enough on their own to pull heavy freight in Antarctic conditions so had small genetic contribution to the most modern dogs. THIS article, which is the longest and most concrete article I can find on the Argentine dogs (in spanish) suggests that the Argentine dogs were a mix of Malamute, Canadian Inuit Dog (written as Esquimal in the article), and Greenland Dog. There is no mention of a Manchurian spitz nor is the admixture distinct from the dog teams at the other bases at the time and there is also documented exchange of dogs from UK bases to the Argentine bases and vice versa.

Searching both with DuckDuckGo (AI off) and with Google only a few photos I am unfamiliar with show up and they are mostly of one dog, this one:

If you look at the white marking on the muzzle and the way the darkness of the mask falls this is, imo the same dog. Likely one of the dogs featured in this historical Argentine footage HERE (i believe the dog in the photos is the dog show at 2:05 jumping on a handler to be pet). These dogs look distinctly Inuit sled dog (Greenland Dogs and Canadian Inuit Dog both being such) to me.

Modern Greenland Dogs with similar markings and facial structure below:

Deep research shows some additional photos of different dogs, but none that are identifiably anything other than Greenland Dogs imo:

The other photo I see associated with Argentine Polar Dogs is this one:

However, this photo above is (I believe) wrongly attributed to the Argentine dogs and think is a photo of the dog team at New Zealand's Scott Base. Dogs were used by Scott Base from 1957-1986 and were heavily documented. I've had a copy of this photo in my own records since 2021 and didn't properly record where it came from at the time and I have been kicking myself about it ever since (would be happy to gain actual record of who took the photo and when/where. I do think this is probably 1970s or 1980s based on my other photos of Antarctic dog use at this time).

Bought some whitetail deer antlers/skulls from a 90yearold man who was cleaning out his old collection and he liked that I was googley-eyed in love with them, that he tossed this in for free!

All of our candles are unscented soy candles, the novelty labels are me amusing myself. You gotta add your own pencil bits and ranch dressing.

visible gender nonconformity has Never been respected, full stop. there are some spaces where it's more common, because there are more trans and queer people in those spaces. but there has never been a reality where visibly feminine men or visibly masculine women are the norm.

and this only gets more complicated in trans spaces. because Yes, it IS a stereotype for trans people to be visibly gnc. this fact IS used to degrade, other, and fetishize us. it's Also true that many trans people Are gnc, and they embrace these traits While Knowing how they're seen because of them.

many gnc trans people find joy in their presentation Because they don't have access to transition. and many gnc trans people who DO transition are faced with open contempt and disgust because of it. their presentation not "passing," either by circumstance or choice or both, putting a target on their back.

and these trans people who can't conform or wouldn't be happy doing so have historically been scapegoated. treated with contempt even from within trans spaces because people are afraid of Being them. of being seen as lesser than, of being mocked or fetishized or othered out of association.

so often times when many young trans people latch on to characters with visibly gnc traits, men with hips or women with shoulders, it's not because of stereotypes they believe in but because they're TREATED like walking stereotypes.

people flock to these depictions of feminine trans mascs or masculine trans fems or trans neutral people who break boxes Because there IS so much negativity pointed at these presentations. because it IS difficult to find spaces that treat them with respect and dignity.

so ! when we have situations where visibly gnc characters are popularly depicted as trans, followed by the Backlash where it's insisted that that's bigoted because it's clearly a transphobic stereotype, it's Uncomfortable.

the underlying assumption is that it's only popular to depict viktor as trans, with visible hips or long hair or in dresses, because people don't Really see people with those traits as men. or don't see trans men as being "Real" men.

and this response is a defense mechanism, people who've experienced transphobia being (Understandably) hyper-vigilant. but it's still ultimately harmful towards gnc trans people.

there's Also a reason why people seek out trans characters who look like Them. to find euphoria and joy in Their traits being treated as desirable, being treated with respect, being depicted to be Loved, not mocked. and it's deeply disappointing that whenever gnc trans people Try to be visible, this backlash always follows.

gender nonconformity shouldn't be treated as a litmus test for bigotry and fetishization. All trans presentations Can be fetishized and demonized and mocked, because transphobes are transphobic. what matters is the Intent behind the depiction, and if you assume intent based on a trans character's presentation that Says Something about that presentation.

there Should be more (and more Varied) trans rep, more body types and more skin types and more presentations. but there shouldn't be LESS of any particular trans rep either. there shouldn't be LESS gender nonconformity.

bigots don't want trans people to be gender conforming Or gender nonconforming. they don't want trans people of Any body type or any presentation, because they don't want trans people to exist At All.

that's why All honest depictions of trans people are important. there is no version of trans people that are over represented, because there will always be trans people who feel seen and loved Because of that representation.

we need to Unclench and let trans characters be non-conforming, because non-conforming trans people deserve to be visible Period.

I want to close this off by sharing the story of another creator, who leaned into this kind of othering from within trans spaces and learned from it [Link]

pointing your disgust and insecurity and fear at other trans people will never make you safer, it just signals to the bigots around you that every insecurity you have is fair game. Every Single insult and caricature and stereotype passed around in the trans community has made it back to cis bigots and pointed at ALL of us

and trans people With these traits are only MORE vulnerable. the only thing that perpetuating this hatred and disgust and othering Within the trans community accomplishes is putting pressure on vulnerable people from every side.