Extinct woolly dog pelt returns to ancestral lands
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In British Columbia, Canada, the only surviving pelt of a woolly dog named Mutton returned to the territory of the Coast Salish people for the first time.
Mutton lived with naturalist George Gibbs in the 1850s, and after his death, Gibbs sent Mutton’s pelt to the Smithsonian Institution as part of a collection of specimens. The pelt remained in the Smithsonian’s possession until recently, when it was loaned to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.
Coast Salish community members and artisans welcomed Mutton’s pelt, viewing it as a connection to their ancestors and a reminder of a lost cultural practice. The woolly dog was selectively bred for its soft fleece, which was harvested and woven into blankets and textiles alongside materials like cattails and waterfowl down. Oral histories passed down through generations recount the importance of these dogs, who were considered family members and provided valuable resources.
Scientists sequenced Mutton’s genome in 2023, confirming the breed’s unique curly undercoat and establishing that woolly dogs existed in the region for at least 5,000 years, possibly up to 15,000, before European colonization. However, the breed disappeared in the late 1800s due to the disruptions of settler colonialism, including policies like the Indian Act and bans on traditional practices.
The Museum of Anthropology will display Mutton’s pelt until August 2027 while continuing research on Salish weavings to determine the extent of woolly dog fiber use.
