"The dog to whom this pelt belonged originated in the Chilliwack area in the territories of the Stó:lō people," says Jordan Wilson, curator of Pacific Northwest and Contemporary Indigenous Art at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, and a member of the Musqueam nation.

Wilson explained that the Coast Salish, Interior Salish and Makah peoples deliberately bred the woolly dog for its thick fur, which women sheared, spun and wove into blankets and clothing as a source of family income.

"This dog was bred out of existence in large part because of all the transformations wrought by settler colonialism," Wilson added, highlighting how colonial pressures eliminated the breed.

The pelt will be on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to UBC’s Museum of Anthropology from September 2026 to August 2027, allowing the public to view the specimen.

Before the exhibition opens, members of local Coast Salish communities and weavers were invited to spend time with the pelt, describing the strong emotions it evoked.

Its return offers a tangible reminder that settler colonialism can wipe out animal breeds that are integral to Indigenous cultural heritage, and it creates a platform for education and cultural revitalisation.