Name: ‘The Teachings of Mutton’: A BC and Yukon Book Prize Celebration
Start: 2026-06-25T18:30:00-04:00
End: 2026-06-25T20:00:00-04:00
Location: Upstart & Crow Studio

Description

Until now, there has been very little written about the Coast Salish Woolly Dog, or sqʷəmey̓ in the Hul’q’umi’num language.

Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog tells the story of the Woolly Dog, and Mutton in particular. For 150 years the pelt of a dog named “Mutton” languished in a drawer that the Smithsonian, until an amateur archivist discovered it, almost accidentally. The Woolly Dog was a small dog bred for thousands of years for its woolly fibres, which were woven into traditional blankets, robes, and regalia. The dogs were carefully protected by the Coast Salish peoples, but by the 1900s the Woolly Dog had become so rare it is now considered extinct.

Teachings of Mutton is co-authored by weavers, Knowledge Keepers, and Elders combining perspectives from Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō, Suquamish, Cowichan, Katzie, Snuneymuxw, and Skokomish cultures with narratives of science, post-contact history, and the lasting and devastating impacts of colonization. Binding it all together is Mutton’s story—a tale of research, reawakening, and resurgence.

Join us on June 25 for an event with two of the book’s authors, Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa, researcher and master spinner, and Debra Sparrow, author and Musqueam weaver, to learn more about Mutton, and the history of the Coast Salish Woolly Dog. Liz and Debra will talk about their own research into the Woolley Dog along with its importance to Coast Salish Indigenous culture and history.

This event is free, but please RSVP here to save your spot.

More about Upstart & Crow:

Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers, readers and stories, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com.

Accessibility:

The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees. As part of disability justice and community care for the chronically ill, vulnerable and elderly, we ask that you refrain from attending if you feel sick.

Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.

More about the authors:

Debra Sparrow has been deeply involved with the revival of Musqueam weaving for over thirty years, and has many years of study, trial and learning directly from the work of her ancestors. Her work has been collected and exhibited nationally and internationally, including the University of British Columbia, the Canadian Museum of History, the Royal BC Museum, the Vancouver International Airport (YVR Collections), the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture (Seattle), and the Smithsonian. She was the recipient of the BC Creative Achievement Award for First Nations Art in 2008. Most recently, she participated in The Fabric of Our Land: Salish Weaving at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC as both an exhibitor and as a regular, active weaving demonstrator using a traditional loom from the museum collection.

Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa has a MA 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.