The Woolly Dog: A Fibre Tradition of the Pacific Northwest

The only known surviving pelt of a distinct breed of woolly dog once raised by Coast and Interior Salish ancestors and their Makah neighbours is on display at MOA. Brought here at the request of weavers and community members, this pelt offers a vital connection to Salish ancestors and honours the enduring knowledge, care, and cultivation practices that shaped Indigenous life in this region.

For thousands of years, these dogs were carefully bred for their long, white, woolly coats, which were sheared and used alongside mountain goat wool and plant fibres to make treasured robes. 

Wool robes were—and remain—among the highest forms of wealth and hold profound spiritual significance. Woolly dogs were tended by weavers, kept separate from hunting dogs, and given rich diets of salmon and elk to enhance their coats.

Extinct since the late 1800s, the woolly dog’s story is being rediscovered through Indigenous oral histories, historical accounts, and DNA analysis.

On display across from the Elspeth McConnell Gallery of Northwest Coast Masterworks

On display: September 5, 2026 – August 2027

Photo credit: USNM 4762, Division of Mammals, Smithsonian Institution

Stories on the Land: Archeology in the American Southwest

Archeology has served colonial goals by excluding Indigenous people, disregarding their histories and separating them from their ancestors. It has fed outsiders’ fascination and exploitation of their culture and resources for their own benefit. Despite its colonial roots, the field is evolving to better serve Indigenous people.

“The existence of our stories on the land…[and] our ancestral connections between ancient First People and contemporary Indigenous people, are empowering to Indigenous people.” ~ Archeologist Dr. Paulette Steeves (Cree-Métis)

Curator: Hannah Feodorov (Diné: Navajo/Dutch/German), Indigenous Internship Program

Opened Fall 2024

Photo credit: Photo by Kristi Fuoco.

Atlanthos: Youth-Driven Innovation Through Afrofuturistic Storytelling

This world-building project, in collaboration with Ethọ́s Lab, which features a fictional high-tech underwater realm, was driven by the creative minds of eleven teenagers who learned to ground their storytelling in African culture and history.

Ethọ́s Lab is a Black-led nonprofit innovation academy for youth in grades 5 to 12 based in Vancouver. Ethọ́s Lab delivers culturally grounded STEAM learning opportunities, informed by African histories and Black diasporic traditions creating connections to post-secondary and careers.

On display in the Multiversity Galleries (Case #99)

Curator: Ethọ́s Lab

Opened 2024

Photo credit: The Ethọ́s Lab Team and Atlanthos. Photo courtesy of MOA Programs.