Coast Salish First Nations kept the small woolly dogs, which had thick, long hair, separated from hunting dogs in either corrals or on small islands, and used their hair in textiles, she explained.

Featured in the showcase are 10 of the earliest known blanket weavings by Salish peoples from the Pacific Northwest. The exhibit at the MOA at UBC opens Nov. 19 and runs until April 2018.

A Salish woolly dog is pictured on the East Saanich reserve, about 20 kilometres north of Victoria, in 1935. The breed was near extinction by 1900, with a few rare sightings on reserves until 1940.

For thousands of years, the Salish woolly dog resided on B.C.'s southwest coast, providing their owners with companionship — and hair. Now, blankets woven from the fur of this extinct dog are on ...