GALLERY VIEW: MATERIALS & DYES

Mountain Goat (Oreamnos Americanus)

Loan Courtesy Jason Tarver and Juneau Mercantile & Armory

Mountain goats inhabit rugged, mountainous habitats in western North America. In Alaska, mountain goats occur in coastal regions in southeastern and south-central Alaska. They inhabit alpine areas and use steep cliffs to evade predators. Sometimes confused with Dall sheep, sheep are not typically found in coastal Alaska, and have large, brown, curling horns. Goat horns are black and relatively straight.

Mountain goat hooves are specially designed for climbing in steep, rock, and slippery terrain. Each hoof consists of a hard sheath and a soft embedded pad, enabling goats to gain purchase on the smallest of granite cracks and gripping maximum surface area.

Native hunters harvested goats for meat and used the horns for implements and artwork. The horns are used for spoons and fastened to headbands to make crown-like headdresses worn by shaman. Underfur from their heavy winter coats was preferred for weaving. It takes wool from three to four mountain goat hides to make a robe, and three to four months to spin the fine goat underfur into warps and wefts for weaving.