Early European explorers to the Pacific Northwest commented that the native people kept flocks of fluffy, white dogs. They were compared to Pomeranians in appearance, although they were somewhat larger, and they were shorn at regular intervals throughout the year – not unlike sheep. Despite being a common sight in the 18^th century, the practice of raising and keeping these dogs had almost disappeared by 1860, and the breed was considered extinct by the end of the 19^th century.
For context, European explorers brought diseases that devastated the native people throughout the 18^th and 19^th centuries, and the tribal populations were significantly reduced and sometimes totally wiped out. In addition, the “treaties” forced natives to give up many of their traditional practices, including keeping dogs and weaving. By the beginning of the 20^th century, all that was left of the weaving tradition were a few grandmothers who had learned to weave as children, and who might talk about or pass on the tradition in secret to their own children and grandchildren.
As a result of this cultural destruction, by the mid- to late-20^th century, some researchers questioned whether dog fibers had actually been used to create blankets, and whether dog hair had been used in any significant way to produce blankets. Multiple Coast Salish blankets exist in museums worldwide, but it was very difficult to determine the fiber type using physical means. New scientific techniques in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries have provided new ways to analyze the blankets. I will describe these scientific innovations and what new information they brought to solve the mystery of the Coast Salish woolly dogs.

Arwyn Smalley

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