The Woolly Dog Project

The film project tells the story of the woolly dog – a breed domesticated thousands of years ago in the Northwest Coast. The dog was cherished by Coast Salish communities and prized for their fur that was used in weaving. Extinct since the late 1800s, a recent pelt was discovered at the Smithsonian and since has been genetically sequenced in hopes of understanding its origins. The CORVA lab has partnered with the Smithsonian and several Coast Salish leaders to tell the story of their relationship to the woolly dog. Production began in October 2023.