The woolly dog was no longer in existence as of the early 20th century, and Coast Salish weaving traditions almost died out as well. Outside of Native communities, the conventional explanation had long been that the Coast Salish themselves lost interest in breeding and shearing the dogs once cheaper fibers and blankets became available.
But the Coast Salish themselves passed down a different story: European missionaries and authorities set out to eradicate the woolly dog because it was associated with Native beliefs and cultural practices. Garments created from the woolly dog fibers, such as headbands, carrying straps, robes and other ceremonial regalia, were thought to have been imbued with spiritual properties.
“The woolly dog was gifted by the Creator to have wool fibers that would retain the energy of prayer,” Pavel says. A textile made from its fur was a prized gift. It “would be one of the most sought-after and highly respected items to receive in the ancestral days,” he says. But once the British came, he says, “the woolly dog, not unlike the Coast Salish people, was persecuted.” The dogs “were either assimilated or eradicated, not unlike the policies and procedures impacting the Indigenous people.”
The Science paper supports this explanation. As colonialism spread, many Coast Salish traditions—including strict reproductive isolation for the dogs—were eradicated, says Logan Kistler, an anthropologist at the National Museum of Natural History who was part of the project. The researchers discovered that while Mutton had genes that tied him to pre-colonial times, he was only around 85 percent woolly dog. His genes suggested that he most likely had recent ancestors that were allowed to breed with European dogs.
In the paper, one elder, Rena Point Bolton, recalls that her great-grandmother was forced to give up her dogs. Her ancestors “were told they couldn’t do their cultural things,” by Indian agents and law enforcement, Bolton told the researchers. “The dogs were not allowed.”
The scientists performed a forensic reconstruction of Mutton, based on information from his pelt, and found that he was bigger than the skeletal remains of other dogs in the archaeological record that were thought to have been pure woolly dogs. “He was a little bit thick looking,” says Lin, noting that he stood 40 centimeters (15 inches) tall at the shoulder.
Although Mutton was not 100 percent woolly dog, he still had enough woolly dog DNA that Lin and her colleagues were able to gain more insight into why the dog’s fur provided rich material for weaving. They identified 28 genes that have links to hair growth and follicle regeneration. And they created a reference genome for the woolly dog that will help pinpoint whether other skeletal remains found in the Pacific Northwest belonged to woolly dogs, says Lin. Mutton’s genome also provides a valuable reference point for understanding the evolution and diversity of other dogs from the Pacific Northwest.