The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog
Conversation and Book Signing
Date & Time
Thursday, October 23, 2025
6–9 p.m.
This event is in the past.
Tickets
General admission: $15
Burke members: FREE
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Co-authors of the book The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog, Dr. Janice George (Chepximiya Siyam) and Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa, will be speaking and reading from the book.
The pelt of a dog named “Mutton” languished in a drawer at the Smithsonian for 150 years until it was discovered, almost accidentally, by an amateur archivist. This book tells Mutton's story and explores what it can teach us about Coast Salish woolly dogs and their cultural significance.
According to Indigenous Oral Histories of the Pacific Northwest, this small dog was bred for thousands of years for its woolly fibers, which were woven into blankets, robes and regalia. In the early to mid-1900s the woolly dog had become extinct.
The co-authors will be joined by Candace Wellman, the amateur archivist who lead the discovery of Mutton at the Smithsonian, and Buddy Joseph, a well known weaver and teacher.
Copies of The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog will be available for purchase in the Burke Store.
About the Book
Co-authored with weavers, knowledge keepers, and elders, The Teachings of Mutton interweaves perspectives from Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō, Suquamish, Cowichan, Katzie, Snuneymuxw, and Skokomish cultures with narratives of science and history. Binding it all together is Mutton's story — a tale of research, reawakening, and resurgence.
About the Co-Authors
Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa has a master's in educational technology and holds a Master Spinner Certificate from Olds College. She is a researcher of Coast Salish spinning and collaborates with museums and Indigenous communities, sharing her knowledge through research writing, workshops and lectures. Her research and publications focus on Coast Salish textiles, including articles in academic journals (Science, BC Studies) and magazines (Spin-Off, Ply, Selvedge). She lives on Protection Island, near Nanaimo, BC.
Chepximiya Siyam’ Janice George graduated from Capilano University, North Vancouver BC, and the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM, USA. She feels her education at these schools helped her excel as a teacher, adding to her most important traditional teachings. She is a hereditary chief, trained museum curator and educator. George also co-organized the 1st Canada Northwest Coast Weavers Gathering with other Squamish Nation Weavers.
About the Speakers
Skwetsimeltxw Willard ‘Buddy’ Joseph, along with Chepximiya Siyam’ Janice George, co-founded L’hen Awtxw Weaving House to share the teachings and practice of traditional Coast Salish wool weaving.Joseph is the former director of the Squamish Housing and Capital Projects and currently consults on capital projects for First Nations communities. In September 2021, Skwetsimeltxw Willard ‘Buddy’ Joseph became the Vancouver Art Gallery’s inaugural Elder in Residence.
Candace Wellman holds a bachelor of arts in sociology from Washington State University and a bachelor of education in history/secondary education from Western Washington University. Born and raised in Washington, she has described herself as an amateur archivist and historian and is now a professional after publishing three books, two with a focus on Indigenous women married to officials in the earliest days of Bellingham colonization: Peace Weavers: Uniting the Coast Salish Through Cross-Cultural Marriages, and Interwoven Lives: Indigenous Mothers of Coast Salish Communities.
