Category: Arts & Entertainment

A story told in metal

By Micheal Rios

Towering outside a brand-new center dedicated to imagination and design, three metal orcas now carry a Coast Salish story into the heart of a college campus.

In late September, Tulalip artist James Madison unveiled Snoqualmie Pass. It’s a large-scale metal installation permanently situated in the courtyard of Lake Washington Institute of Technology’s (LWTech) newly opened Center for Design and Event Center in Kirkland. More than 300 guests attended the grand opening celebration, which began with the dedication of the 13-foot sculpture.

“There are three panels fused together that make up this sculpture. If you look carefully, then you’ll see Thunderbird inside Blackfish’s dorsal fin,” explained James, the now 52-year-old artist. “The reason there are three panels is to represent myself and my two boys, Jayden and Jevin. In a lot of my work, you’ll see three whale fins. Each time it’s to represent my family. I raised them as a single father, coached them both from biddy ball to high school, and am extremely proud to be their father. I want them to always know that no matter what, they are a part of me and a part of my work.”  

For the proud father and Tulalip culture bearer, his latest metal installation also represents something far older than the new building surrounding it. Snoqualmie Pass brings to life a Coast Salish story passed down to him by his grandfather, Frank. At its center are Blackfish and Thunderbird, two powerful beings who once argued over whose way of life was better. Blackfish championed swimming through the water. Thunderbird favored soaring through the sky. 

Their disagreement became a struggle. As the story was passed down, Blackfish and Thunderbird wrestled high above the Earth before falling from the mountains toward the water below. Their journey across the landscape formed the passage now known as Snoqualmie Pass.

James translated that story into three imposing metal orcas, transforming oral history into something students, faculty and visitors can physically encounter each time they enter the Center for Design.

The placement is especially fitting. The Cascade Mountains sit less than an hour from LWTech’s Kirkland campus, and Snoqualmie is among the communities within the college’s service area. LWTech directly serves communities throughout King and Snohomish counties, stretching from Bellevue and Kirkland east toward North Bend, Snoqualmie and the foothills of the Cascades.

In that setting, Snoqualmie Pass serves as a stark reminder that the mountains, waterways and familiar place names surrounding the modern Eastside existed within Coast Salish stories and knowledge systems long before highways, cities and college campuses were constructed.

The artwork also carries Tulalip culture into a space built specifically for the next generation of creators. LWTech’s new Center for Design brings the college’s Art, Design, Illustration, Architecture and Gaming programs together under one roof. College officials describe the facility as a hub for creativity, collaboration and innovation.

Founded in 1949, LWTech is Washington State’s only public institute of technology. Today it offers 12 bachelor’s degrees, 42 associate degrees and 70 professional certificates across 41 areas of study, including programs in design, engineering, manufacturing, health sciences, information technology and transportation technology.

James’s work was selected by community members through a public-art process managed by the Washington State Arts Commission in partnership with LWTech. Its permanent presence also complements a campus where artwork is intentionally placed beyond traditional gallery walls. LWTech maintains sculptures, murals, photography and other works throughout its buildings and grounds, many of them part of Washington’s public art collection.

James is hopeful that future Tulalip college students attending LWTech will eventually stand beneath those metal Blackfish and know that they belong. Following the grand opening ceremony, he spoke about wanting more young people from Tulalip to consider LWTech when thinking about college, especially those interested in careers built around creativity, technology, design and making things with their hands.

“After learning about all the programs and certifications the Institute offers, I think it would be an amazing option for our Tulalip graduates to consider,” shared the renowned master carver. “Especially for those who are interested in learning a trade or in search of creative outlets that can turn into careers. From diesel mechanics and welders to metal fabricators and video game designers, there’s so much opportunity for our current and future generations of young people.”

For a Tulalip student arriving on an unfamiliar campus, seeing Coast Salish imagery standing prominently outside one of the college’s newest buildings could offer an immediate point of connection. A familiar form. A familiar story. A reminder that Native identity does not have to be left at home when pursuing higher education.

Photo courtesy of LWTech

That message carries added significance at an institution whose current strategic plan begins by recognizing the Coast Salish peoples who have inhabited the land where LWTech now stands and acknowledges their relationship with that land since time immemorial. Snoqualmie Pass gives that acknowledgment physical form.

With the 2026-2027 school year in full swing, students are shuffling in LWTech’s classroom on a daily basis. There, designers sketch, architects draft,

artists experiment, and gamers build digital worlds. And outside the Center for Design, there is a Coast Salish story told in metal.

Spot Reservation: Permit Yourself to Laugh 

Swinomish artist Daniel R. Smith to transform a UW parking garage into Indigenous celebratory “occupation,” costume party, and environmental protest 

What: Spot Reservation is a public art project featuring photo portraits with costumes and wearable taxidermy in a tiny post-apocalyptic forest, fry bread tacos, live birds of prey, and an open mic; free and open to all, Native and non-Native alike 

When: October 30th, 2026 

Where: University of Washington Seattle, Padelford Parking Garage Lot N21


SEATTLE —October 5, 2026— Why build a tiny forest of native plants in a brutalist concrete parking garage? And give away free Indian tacos next to a demonstration of live birds of prey being hand-fed mice? “Spot Reservation,” the brainchild of Swinomish artist Daniel R. Smith, is a free public event which he describes as an “Indigenous, celebratory occupation of the University of Washington.” 

The event draws inspiration from numerous influences, including Smith’s upbringing on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, the climate crisis, and pop culture like Twin Peaks. Smith’s past projects include “Slapstick Indians,” an augmented reality installation in downtown Seattle; “The Salish Sea Anti Space Symposium,” a day long event protesting the 50th anniversary of the moon landing; “The Seattle-Havana-Tehran Poster Show (aka The SHT Show),” a three-city international poster show launched at Bumbershoot in 2015. 

Happening the day before Halloween, Friday, October 30th, 11:00am – 3:00pm, Spot Reservation features free, costumed photo portraits in a tiny forest (aka “nanoforest”) installed in the depths of the Padelford Parking Garage, Level N21, on the east side of campus. Smith’s collaborator, Iranian born photographer Saina Heshmati, co-founder of Antipode Gallery in Pioneer Square, will capture and distribute professional portraits of participants in a tiny forest, or “nanoforest,” of native plants growing out of industrial oil barrels. Costume elements, including “wearable taxidermy” will be provided by Smith, but the public is also encouraged to come dressed in costumes of their own making. 

Joe Seymour (Squaxin/Pueblo Acoma) will emcee the event and host an open mic for singing, drumming, and reading, including an appearance by poet Mateo Quispe (Red River Métis/Little Shell Chippewa). Seattle’s Off the Rez food truck will provide free fry bread tacos to the first 120 people. The Falconer, who works with raptors, will demonstrate live hawks, falcons, and a vulture named “Mr. Peebles,” and offer opportunities to hold birds for photos. “Aunty Cedar Log Lady,” a Lynchian character devised by Tessa Rose Campbell (Tulalip/Tlingit), will be a wandering channeler of the forest. 

Spot Reservation is free and open to the public, and designed to highlight Indigenous concerns about environmental degradation, climate change, colonization, land ownership using humor and entertainment. Conceived of as an “off kilter pow wow” and “a protest disguised as a party,” Smith invites any and all who are curious about art making and community building through shared experience

Through the Looking Glass

Dan Friday with a blown glass canoe paddle. Photograph by Greg Owen.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

There is something mesmerizing about glass. Feed it enough heat and a solid becomes liquid. Give that molten material air, movement, and the practiced hands of an artist, then it can become nearly anything imaginable. A basket. A salmon. A raven. A spindle whorl. A turtle suspended in motion.

Preston Singletary and Joe David, 
Dancing Wolf Headdress, 2014, kiln-formed, sand-carved glass, cedar bark. 
Image courtesy of Preston Singletary.

And when Indigenous artists take hold of that medium, glass becomes something else entirely. It becomes a vessel for culture.

This fall, inland northwest art lovers will have the rare opportunity to experience that intersection of fire, light, and innovation when Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass arrives at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC) in Spokane.

Opening October 24 and remaining on view through January 10, the traveling exhibition features more than 120 works by 33 Indigenous artists from North America, Australia and New Zealand, alongside works by legendary glass artist Dale Chihuly. The exhibition brings together an astonishing variety of techniques and cultural perspectives, transforming one of the art realm’s most visually dramatic mediums into a showcase of Indigenous storytelling. 

For Coast Salish viewers in particular, there will be familiar forms waiting behind the glass. Lummi artist Dan Friday turns the imagery and teachings of his Coast Salish heritage into blown glass. Tlingit artists Preston Singletary and Raven Skyriver push the medium in completely different directions, from Singletary’s bold Northwest Coast forms to Skyriver’s remarkably lifelike marine creatures. Meanwhile, Musqueam artist Susan Point reimagines Coast Salish design and traditional objects through fashionable materials, including glass.

Angela Babby, Melt: Prayers for the People and the Planet, 2019, Kiln-fired vitreous enamel on glass mosaic on tile board. Image courtesy of Angela Babby.

Collectively, they represent a generation of artists who refused the idea that Indigenous art must remain fixed in a particular material or century to remain authentic. That premise lies at the heart of Clearly Indigenous.

When Native artists began experimenting with studio glass during the 1970s, some collectors and critics questioned whether their work could even be considered “authentic” Native art. Half a century later, that notion seems almost laughable. Indigenous glass artists are now internationally recognized. Their works are held by museums and private collections around the world, while the stories carried within their creations remain rooted in their respective cultures. 

The exhibition traces that transformation across roughly 45 years of Native glassmaking.

Carol Lujan (Diné), Dancing Dragonflies, 2018. Cast glass. Courtesy of the artist.

Its story is closely connected to the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, where Chihuly served as a visiting professor in 1974. Already an influential figure in the growing American studio glass movement, Chihuly constructed the institute’s first hot shop and introduced Indigenous students to glassblowing. That convergence helped bring together two creative movements, Native art and studio glass, both developing during the latter half of the twentieth century.

Since then, Native artists have made the illustrious medium their own. Pueblo pottery forms were reborn in translucent glass. Woven baskets became glowing vessels. Traditional textile patterns appeared within glass panels. Northwest Coast spirits emerged from layers of blown and sand-carved color. Stories once expressed through cedar, wool, clay, stone and paint found another way to travel forward.

Raya Friday, Glass After Dark, August 2025. Photo by courtesy of Chrysler Museum of Art.

That ability to carry culture into a new material is beautifully illustrated by Dan Friday. A Lummi Nation citizen and Skagit Valley-based artist, Friday has worked primarily in glass for approximately three decades. His resumé spans teaching and residencies at institutions ranging from Pilchuck Glass School and the University of Washington to the Museum of Glass and the Burke Museum. In 2017, he also created a Native youth outreach program at Pilchuck. 

Friday describes creativity as something nurtured within his family from childhood, when making things by hand and knowing Lummi cultural heritage were simply parts of everyday life.

His eventual introduction to glass proved transformational.

“When I saw glass blowing for the first time, it felt as though I grew an inch!” reads Friday’s artist statement. “That is to say, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I had finally figured out my path. I found my passion in glass.”

That sense of discovery can be felt throughout Clearly Indigenous. Consider Friday’s glass baskets, where forms associated with Northwest Coast weaving are reconstructed through heat and breath. Or Susan Point’s Beaver Woman Transformation Spindle Whorl, where an object connected to Coast Salish textile traditions becomes kiln-slumped and sand-etched glass. Raven Skyriver’s sea creatures appear almost alive, capturing the marine world that has sustained coastal Native peoples since time immemorial. 

Preston Singletary and Harlan Reano, Circus Warrior, 2015, blown and sand-carved glass.
Image courtesy of Preston Singletary.

Then there is Preston Singletary. The internationally renowned Tlingit artist has spent decades demonstrating just how naturally Northwest Coast visuals can inhabit glass. His work ranges from towering sculptural forms to ravens, killer whales and objects grounded in Tlingit story and design. One piece highlighted for the Spokane exhibition is his Raven Rattle, a blown, hot-sculpted and sand-carved work created in 2019. 

Raven Steals the Sun, 2017, Blown, sand-carved glass. 
Image courtesy of Preston Singletary.

“My work challenges the notion that Native artists must only use traditional materials,” explains Singletary. “By embracing glass as a storytelling medium, I seek to affirm our presence and identity, reinforcing that Indigenous cultures are dynamic, evolving, and rooted in resilience. Through my art, I strive to amplify Indigenous voices, ensuring that we are seen, heard, and recognized on our own terms.”

Preston Singletary, Killer Whale Totem, 2018, Cast lead crystal.
Image courtesy of Preston Singletary.

Glass adds another participant to those stories, light. Unlike cedar or stone, it can glow from within. It can absorb sunlight, throw shadows across a wall or reveal different layers depending on where a person stands. Singletary has described discovering this quality while observing sunlight pass through one of his pieces, creating ever-changing shapes and shadows. 

That interplay gives Clearly Indigenous an almost living quality.

Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo), Incubators, 2016. High-fire clay, underglaze, acrylic paint, Corning glass. Courtesy of Henry Munoz.

Yet for all its visual beauty, the exhibition is about more than technical mastery. The works address identity, environmental concerns, cultural continuity, ancestors, community and present-day Native life. Some speak through familiar traditional forms. Others make pointed statements about the worlds Indigenous people walk in today. 

The exhibition originated at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, where it was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers and Potawatomi artist Cathy Short. After opening in Santa Fe in 2022, the show evolved into a traveling exhibition and recently completed a run at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York. 

Now it is heading west. And there is something particularly fitting about Clearly Indigenous landing in Washington State, which is home to several of the Native artists represented within the exhibition.

Raven Skyriver working on Iguana, 2018. Image courtesy of Raven Skyriver.

For Tulalip families willing to make the drive east to Spokane, this is the type of exhibition capable of appealing across generations. Artists will appreciate the craftsmanship. Culture bearers will recognize old forms taking on new dimensions. Young people might see proof that ancestral teachings do not belong solely to the past. They can be carried into whatever comes next.

Because glass, for all its reputation as something fragile, begins with tremendous heat. So too does creativity. Within Clearly Indigenous, Native artists have taken that creative fire and used it to illuminate a wide-ranging, 120-piece exhibition.

Robert “Spooner” Marcus (Ohkay Owingeh), Red Turtles, ca. 2011. Blown and sand-carved glass. Courtesy of Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

“Living as an artist may not be directly saving the world, but perhaps we are saving ourselves and hopefully, in the process, making the world a better place,” concludes Friday. Offering a glimpse into his artistic drive.

Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass is currently scheduled for display October 24 through January 10, 2027 at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours on the final Wednesday of each month.

Books to read for the whole family

By Wade Sheldon Tulalip News

As a new school year gets underway, it’s the perfect time to pick up a new book. Whether you’re a parent looking for stories to share with your children, a student searching for your next favorite read, or an adult interested in learning more about Indigenous cultures and perspectives, Native authors continue to offer powerful stories for readers of every age. From imaginative adventures and mysteries to inspiring nonfiction and beautifully illustrated children’s books, this collection highlights a variety of titles worth adding to your reading list this fall.

Adult Fiction

Wisdom Corner

By David Heska Wanbli Weiden (Sicangu Lakota Nation)

David Heska Wanbli Weiden is a Lakota author and law professor whose stories explore crime, justice, and life in Native communities. Following the success of his award-winning debut Winter Counts, Weiden returns with Wisdom Corner, a suspenseful novel that follows a murder investigation while examining family, tradition, and the challenges facing modern tribal communities.

Savage Lake
By Nick Medina (Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana)

Nick Medina has become one of today’s leading Indigenous suspense writers by blending Native storytelling with mystery and horror. Savage Lake follows a chilling mystery that uncovers long-buried secrets while exploring grief, resilience, and the lasting impact of the past.

Python’s Kiss
By Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians)

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich is considered one of the most influential Native American writers of the modern era. Her latest work, Python’s Kiss, brings together stories centered on family, identity, and belonging, continuing her tradition of creating memorable Native characters and communities.

Adult Nonfiction

syəyəʔyəʔ: Coast Salish Sacred Lifeways and the Sacred Lifeways of Jesus
By Father Patrick Twohy

Inspired by decades of living and serving alongside Coast Salish communities, Father Patrick Twohy reflects on the shared values between Coast Salish sacred traditions and the teachings of Jesus. Through personal stories and cultural reflections, the book emphasizes gratitude, stewardship, compassion, and the importance of community.

Everyday Reconciliation
By Derek Aronhie:nens Montour (Mohawk)

Mohawk educator Derek Aronhie: Nens Montour offers readers practical ways to build stronger relationships with Indigenous peoples. The book encourages meaningful conversations and actions while exploring what reconciliation can look like in everyday life.

Truly Tribal: Contemporary Indigenous Tattooing
By Dion Kaszas (Nlaka’pamux Nation)

Artist and cultural researcher Dion Kaszas explores the history and modern revival of Indigenous tattooing. Filled with artwork, stories, and historical context, the book highlights tattooing as a living cultural tradition and an expression of Native identity.

Young Adult – High School

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories
Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation)

This collection brings together stories from several acclaimed Indigenous authors whose characters’ lives intersect at a neighborhood frybread restaurant. The book explores friendship, family, identity and growing up through contemporary Native experiences, making it an excellent choice for teen readers.

Middle Grade – Ages 8–12

Buffalo Dreamer
By Violet Duncan (Plains Cree and Taino)

Violet Duncan tells the story of a young Indigenous girl learning about her family’s history while discovering her own identity and inner strength. Blending adventure with culture and history, the novel encourages readers to appreciate resilience, tradition, and the importance of knowing where they come from.

The Ribbon Skirt
By Cameron Mukwa (Anishinaabe)

This heartfelt novel follows a young Indigenous girl as she learns about family, tradition, and the significance of the ribbon skirt. Through everyday experiences, readers are introduced to themes of cultural pride, belonging, and self-confidence.

Picture Books – Ages 3–7

Chooch Helped
By Andrea L. Rogers  (Cherokee Nation)

Filled with humor and warmth, Chooch Helped follows a young Cherokee boy eager to prove he can help his family. The story celebrates kindness, patience, and the love shared between generations while offering young readers an authentic glimpse into contemporary Cherokee family life.

We Are Water Protectors. By Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe/Métis)

Inspired by Indigenous-led efforts to protect water, this beautifully illustrated picture book teaches children to care for the Earth and stand up for what is important. Its message of environmental stewardship and respect for nature has made it a favorite for families, classrooms, and libraries.

Berry Song. By Michaela Goade (Tlingit)

Written and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade, Berry Song celebrates the relationship between Indigenous people and the natural world. Through lyrical storytelling and breathtaking artwork, children are encouraged to slow down, observe nature, and appreciate the beauty that surrounds them.

Whether you’re picking up a book for yourself, reading aloud with a young child, or helping a student discover a new favorite author, these Native writers offer stories that entertain while celebrating Indigenous cultures, traditions, and perspectives. As the school year begins, there’s no better time to support Native voices and discover a story that inspires learning long after the classroom day ends.

Record-breaking support for Annual Salmon Bake Fundraiser

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News  

The Tulalip Foundation Salmon Bake Fundraiser, benefiting the Hibulb Cultural Center, welcomed supporters from across the community for an evening of culture, art, and philanthropy, raising funds for the cultural center’s exhibitions and educational programming. Guests enjoyed salmon filets cooked over an open flame, received commemorative decorative towels, and took part in a silent auction and live entertainment while celebrating Tulalip history and culture.

Held on Saturday, Aug. 15, the ninth annual fundraiser featured artwork by Tulalip artists, including paintings, cedar hats, carved rattles, hand-painted drums, and many other handcrafted pieces. Throughout the evening, guests browsed and bid on unique items, with proceeds supporting the Hibulb Cultural Center’s mission.

Dinner was prepared by Lance Taylor, Tammy Taylor, and their grandson, Jared Taylor Parks, who has cooked salmon for the fundraiser since it began. Entertainment followed with a performance by Tulalip and Yakama  hoop dancers Terry Goedel and his son, Michael Goedel, whose colorful presentation combined storytelling, tradition, and athleticism.

One of the evening’s biggest highlights came when Terry and Michael invited audience members on stage to try hoop dancing. Guests of all ages eagerly volunteered, filling the room with laughter and applause as they learned the movements and became part of the performance.

Following the entertainment, Hibulb Cultural Center Manager Mytyl Hernandez thanked the artists, volunteers, sponsors, and community members whose support made another successful fundraiser possible. “We have such a very special relationship with our artists, and we’re able to provide opportunities for them and our community members to learn from each other,” Hernandez said. “And in return, we’re able to provide really beautiful items every year at our salmon bake for you all to bid on.”

Hernandez also recognized the longtime fish cooks, volunteers, and staff members whose efforts helped bring the event together, and reflected on what the cultural center has meant to her during her 15 years there. “It has been an absolute privilege for me the last 15 years to be here,” she said. “If it weren’t for the work of our ancestors and past leaders and all of the people that spent 30-plus years planning and prepping and keeping the idea of having a museum on the table, I wouldn’t be here, and my children wouldn’t have been able to be raised in such a beautiful environment.”

She also expressed her appreciation for the record level of community support received this year. “We had record-breaking sponsorship numbers this year,” Hernandez said. “That means so much to us that you support us and that you are entrusting us to tell the true history and story of our people.”

Tulalip Foundation Director Nicole Siemenski said the fundraiser raised a little more than $65,000, with the proceeds supporting new exhibitions and educational programming at the Hibulb Cultural Center in the coming year. She also noted that although the fundraiser began in 2017, cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic mean this year’s gathering is the ninth annual event.

“We had our best year yet in terms of sponsorships, and we are extremely thankful to all of our community partners,” Siemenski said. “We were happy to welcome three new sponsors this year — First Citizens Bank, Jay’s Flooring, and Sno-Isle Libraries. We’re also very thankful to a special group of sponsors who have been with us since the beginning — Battle Creek Golf Course, Fueled Creative, the Hoban Family, Quil Ceda Village, Ray and Karen Sheldon Jr., Tulalip Resort Casino, and the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors.”

Siemenski said the annual fundraiser continues to provide vital support for the cultural center while increasing awareness of its work within the community. “I think the event went really well,” she said. “All of the feedback I received was really positive. We had a great turnout, and everyone seemed really happy and supportive throughout the evening.”

Looking back on the evening, Siemenski said one moment stood out above the rest. “My favorite part of the evening was when our dancers, Terry and Michael Goedel, brought up some audience members on stage, and our guests were able to really interact and participate in the hoop dance,” Siemenski said. “I really loved that we had a wide range of volunteers from young kids to elders. I also loved that they were willing to interact with the kids who may have been too shy to go up on stage after the event.”

37 years of tradition

Record turnout at Seafair Indian Days Powwow 

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News  

The steady heartbeat of the drums echoed across Discovery Park as vibrant regalia filled the dance arena during the 37th annual Seafair Indian Days Powwow at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center. Held July 17-19 in Seattle, this year’s celebration was the largest in the event’s 37-year history, drawing hundreds of dancers and drummers and more than 20,000 attendees to celebrate culture, community and tradition. 

Families gathered while drum groups kept the arena alive with songs that carried dancers through every session. Friends reunited, children played between dance sessions, and visitors explored Native-owned vendor booths featuring artwork, beadwork, clothing and traditional foods. Throughout the weekend, the atmosphere reflected the powwow’s enduring role as a place where generations gather to celebrate Native identity while strengthening connections across tribal communities.

Dance competitions remained a highlight of the weekend as participants of all ages entered the arena in Men’s Traditional, Grass, Fancy and Chicken Dance categories, while Women’s Traditional, Jingle Dress and Fancy Shawl dancers showcased their own unique styles. Teen, Junior, Tiny Tot and Golden Age dancers also competed throughout the weekend, with intertribal and special dances inviting everyone into the circle.

Whether competing for prize money or dancing during intertribal songs, every participant contributed to the celebration. Eagle bustles, jingles, brightly colored shawls and intricate beadwork reflected countless hours of craftsmanship while honoring traditions passed from one generation to the next.

For many families, the Seafair Indian Days Powwow is about much more than dancing, serving as an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, make new friends and celebrate culture together year after year.

Yakima’s Dolly Heemsah knows that feeling well. Having danced since infancy and attended the Seafair Indian Days Powwow for many years, she has watched generations of families gather beneath the arbor. After beginning as a jingle dancer and later dancing Fancy, she eventually found her place in Women’s Traditional. 

Spending the weekend alongside her family, Heemsah said the greatest joy comes from seeing both familiar and new faces. “With family and meeting new friends, new dancers, the new infants and everything, it’s nice,” she said. 

Encouraging first-time visitors to experience everything the celebration has to offer, Heemsah added, “Have fun, look at the vendors, and meet people. Dance and have fun.”

While Heemsah’s story reflects a lifetime spent in the dance circle, John L. Archuleta of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes from the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho represents a newer generation of dancers discovering what the powwow trail can offer. After dancing for the first time in 2022 in his hometown of Fort Hall, Archuleta traveled 17 hours by bus to attend this year’s Seafair Indian Days Powwow, where he reunited with friends and was gifted a new shirt and apron before stepping into the arena.

“I just had this red outfit, the shirt and apron, gifted to me today,” Archuleta said. “I wasn’t going to waste any time, so I hurried and got everything switched over. It was great.”

A Northern Contemporary Traditional dancer, Archuleta said the powwow has quickly become much more than a place to dance. During a difficult period in his life, he said the powwow trail has become a source of healing, helping him cope while strengthening his commitment to sobriety.

“Powwowing for me is a de-stressor, and it’s also coping for me,” he said. “It’s helping me keep my sobriety. Without the powwow trail, without being able to dance in moccasins, do my face paint and wear my beadwork, I honestly wouldn’t be here. It’s medicine, and it helps me out a lot.”

Archuleta said his face paint is not intended to draw attention to himself but instead honors his family, his powwow family and the warrior traditions that inspire his dancing.

“I’m not out there for myself,” he said. “I’m out there for my mom, my family and my powwow family that’s here. Warriors went out to battle in face paint, so I’ve got to represent my people too.”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Archuleta said. “People get to come here, hang out and see our way of life. I would motivate non-Natives to come because every sunrise, every sunset and every person we meet matters. Come experience a powwow.”

As the final songs echoed through the arena Sunday afternoon, dancers embraced, families packed away their chairs and vendors began closing their booths, bringing another successful Seafair Indian Days Powwow to a close. For lifelong dancers like Heemsah and newer dancers like Archuleta, the gathering continues to demonstrate that the powwow is more than a competition. It is a place where culture is celebrated, friendships are strengthened, healing is found, and traditions continue to thrive for generations to come.

In The Spirit

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

At the heart of the Evergreen State College campus stands the House of Welcome’s cultural arts center. For the last 30 years, this center has affirmed Native arts and cultures by providing a space for customary practices to be transferred across generations. 

In celebration of the center’s 30th anniversary, the House of Welcome partnered with the Washington State Historical Society to organize the first In The Spirit Festival and Art Show. This stunning show was hosted at the Tacoma Art Museum and was an incredible opportunity for 30 Native artists who represented 27 regional tribes.

The life of their artworks embodied creation, stories, land connections, and history rooted in living traditions. 

“Our In The Spirit collection includes artworks ranging from customary (the gatherers of natural materials, who practice labor-intensive warping and weaving) to contemporary (technically proficient techniques used to create designs and symbolism),” explained program specialist Mary Kummer (Makah). “Together, they highlight the beauty of their culture and traditions while honoring all that is sacred and of creation.”

Urban Spirit, Bill Pfeifer
Digital Illustration, Acrylic Print

“Urban Spirit” reflects a journey of rewilding after leaving the city – torn between its energy and a natural place in the woods. It captures the push and pull of longing for urban life while embracing the quiet strength of my Tlingit roots. Though I carry lessons from the metropolis, the forests call me home. This piece embodies the balance between past and present, tradition and modernity, solitude and connection.
I feel my offering to the world these days is to make art accessible to the next generation. I started my own company, Formline Evolved, to encompass my love of cartoons, comic books, and video games. My goal as an artist is to always be experimenting with new methods and pushing at the boundaries of our traditional artforms.
The Gathering, Dylan Sanidad
Red Cedar, Acrylic Paint

“I am Seattle born and raised Alaska Native artist with Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian and Filipino roots. I began my journey as an artist began 2018. I left my career as an aerospace mechanic to pursue my passion to craft and revitalize traditional art. Through the guidance of Tsimshian master carver, David Boxley, I have been able to refine my techniques to carve, paint and cultivate pieces of my own. Through my art I envision bringing awareness of my culture through the creations of indigenous art while bringing in elements of modern concepts to tell my own stories. Traditional masks, staffs, rattles, paddles, bowls, trays, and regalia are only some of the favorites I enjoy creating. I am proud that our culture was resurrected for my generation, and I want to help continue grow the artwork to new heights for generations to come.”
Salish Huckleberry Dancer
Shaadootlaa Tinaayeil Iyall
Merino wool warp & weft, Woven merino wool strap, Dyed salmon leather, Natural smoked moosehide, Cotton, Ermine hides, Trade beads, crystals, and abalone buttons.

Shaadootlaa is a woman of many talents. She is a traditional herbalist, a weaver, a beader, a sewer, a tattooist, a singer, a dancer, a storyteller, a teacher, and a student, among other things. This woven piece honors Coast Salish design and the natural color palettes of treasured huckleberries, blending traditional materials with mathematically precise weaving. It features two-color All Our Ancestors & Lightning twining with the concentric Haida tattoo designs framed with spiraling weft designs of octopus hugs patterns. Crafted with S-twist merino wool warp and hand-dyed weft in shades of huckleberry.
Copper Ravenstail Collar
Sydney Akagi
Merino wool and copper cones

Sydney’s work as a weaver began as an interest in fiber arts and has revealed itself as a vital part of healing her identity with her Tlingit culture. During her journey into traditional Tlingit Northwest Coast Arts, Akagi was introduced to Ravenstail weaving and later Chilkat. She is also a professional photographer. The color and tones she uses to draw are inspired by the warm moody colors found in Southeast Alaska. In her textile and dyes, the materials she uses are all sustainable, foraged and sourced from its lush summer forests and sleeping winter wonderland.
Dáku Arts
Becky Quinlan
Hand-dug, hand processed clay

Becky is a Caddo Nation citizen, artist, and geographer with a passion for preserving and revitalizing Indigenous culture and knowledge. Living in Washington State, Becky is the owner of Dáku Arts, which features her traditional and contemporary pottery, and works as an independent contractor in GIS and Remote Sensing.
She creates her works in the traditional way: hand dug, hand processed clay; hand coiled and shaped; stone burnished and open pit-fired.  Her etched and incised designs combine traditional themes with inspiration from the natural environment of the Caddo homelands.
“This artform was virtually lost until we had one Caddo potter, Jeri Redcorn, revive it in the 1990s. She taught Chase Earles who offered a year-long class to interested Caddo Nation members. That’s where I learned the art form, from Chase. I always wanted to connect more with my tribe and my ancestors. By using their same methods of harvesting by hand, processing by hand, and etching by hand, I really feel that sense of connection.”
Game of Telephone
Cynthia Masterson
Czech glass seed beads / found objects

Oklahoma-born Seattle resident Cynthia Masterson bead weaves using deep knowledge of a misunderstood technique inconsistently called gourd or peyote.  With grit and a VHS tape she taught herself to bead in 2003 and is working to document sixteen different ways to do this stitch. Her art combines writing, everyday objects and beadwork, creating assemblages with stories reacting to current events, loss of language, and time.
“I used a vintage candlestick telephone, a Westen Electric for those old enough to remember such things, that was restored by Old Phone Shop in Canada. They rewired it to make it a working landline telephone, or, as it’s being used here, it can be hooked up via Bluetooth to any cell phone to make or receive calls.
“I’m also using the phone to demonstrate two off-loom weaving styles that can be used for cylinder-shaped objects. One style is a 3 drop and the other style is a 2 drop. Both are interchangeably referred to as Peyote stitch.”

Tulalip shines at Strawberry Festival

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News  

The Tulalip Tribes were prominently featured during the 94th Annual Strawberry Festival Grand Parade on Saturday, June 20, as thousands of spectators lined State Street in downtown Marysville to celebrate one of Snohomish County’s most beloved summer traditions.

This year’s parade carried special significance for Tulalip as Board of Directors Chairman Hazen Shopbell was recognized during the event. Riding through the parade route in a vintage convertible, Chairman Shopbell waved to the crowd as community members and visitors applauded his leadership and service to the Tulalip Tribes.

Also representing Tulalip was 2026 Strawberry Festival Queen Mone’t Clemens. The Tulalip tribal member rode atop a strawberry-themed float, greeting spectators throughout the parade route. As Strawberry Festival Queen, Clemens has spent the past year serving as an ambassador for both Marysville and Tulalip while participating in community events across the region.

Representing the Tulalip Senior Center, King Billy Fryberg and Queen Sharleen Fryberg rode through downtown Marysville, receiving cheers and waves from the crowd.

Throughout the morning, Tulalip’s presence was evident in a variety of parade entries. Tulalip Bay Fire Department crews showcased their equipment and greeted families from aboard a ladder truck, while local youth participated with marching bands, cheerleading, and community organizations. 

For generations, the Strawberry Festival has brought together residents from Marysville, Tulalip, and communities throughout Snohomish County. This year’s parade once again showcased the strong connection between the neighboring communities while highlighting the pride and participation of Tulalip tribal members of all ages.

Wearing the Big Red Dress

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News; photos courtesy of Mone’t Clemens

For generations, the Marysville Strawberry Festival Parade has signaled the arrival of summer for families throughout the Marysville and Tulalip communities. From colorful floats and marching bands to the festival royalty who wave to thousands along the parade route, the annual tradition has remained a cherished part of local life.

This year, Tulalip tribal member Mone’t Clemens is at the center of that tradition. As a graduating high school senior and the 2026 Strawberry Festival Queen, Mone’t is representing both Marysville and Tulalip while serving as an ambassador for one of the community’s most celebrated events.

The opportunity is one that has been years in the making for Clemens. Growing up attending the Strawberry Festival Parade, she remembers watching the royalty court make its way down State Avenue and imagining herself in their place one day.

“The first thing is growing up in Tulalip and going to Marysville to watch the parade,” she said. “Then seeing the Princesses and the Queen, that’s what first made me go, I want to be up there, and I want to be in that big red dress. As I got older, I realized it was more than just the dress, but being able to be up there representing who you are and where you came from.”

While earning the title was a proud accomplishment, the journey also required Clemens to overcome self-doubt and trust in her own abilities, something she said was one of the biggest challenges she faced along the way.

“Growing up, I feel many people face a lot of good and bad situations, but for me, what I had to get over was not believing in myself,” Clemens said. “I tend to put myself down and discredit much of the work I do. So, I think it was finding in myself that I am capable of doing what I put my mind to. I can push myself and get the support I need to get what I want.”

As she progressed through the royalty program, Clemens said she gained a deeper appreciation for the role and what it meant to represent not only herself, but also the communities that helped shape her.

“Well, when I first wanted to do it, I didn’t really look at it culturally,” she said. “But as I began my journey to becoming queen, I realized I am not only representing Marysville but also Tulalip. I think that helped shape my understanding that we, as Native Americans, can accomplish big things in a world that is kind of against us. And I think it shows that we, as Tulalip people, are powerful and can accomplish anything.”

That realization also strengthened her desire to inspire and show what can be achieved through determination and hard work.

“I hope to be that representation for the younger generation, someone they can see themselves in,” she said. “Not like the standard. So, they can say, maybe one day I could be up there, and I, too, could achieve big things. I want to be that voice for my community by being queen. It’s not just a title, it’s an embodiment of what I have achieved.”

Beyond the crown and public appearances, Clemens believes the experience has prepared her for future opportunities by building confidence and strengthening skills she will carry long after her reign has ended.

“I think this will help me feel confident pursuing other things in my future,” she said. “Having the opportunity to go through all the volunteering events as queen has helped me build my communication and leadership skills, which will help me make big changes in the future wherever I am. To know that I can speak what’s on my mind and not let anything diminish that. I am capable, and I do belong here.”

Since being crowned, Clemens has attended community events and public appearances throughout the region, experiences she said have made the significance of the title feel real in ways she never expected.

“It’s been a great experience,” she said. “The first parade I went to and saw all the faces of the young girls filled me with pride and honor. Being able to represent Marysville, Pilchuck, Tulalip, and my African American side, and to embody everything, has been surreal. It’s almost hard to put into words how it has made me feel. Also, having all my peers, friends, and family telling me how proud they are of me has really made me feel like I have accomplished a big thing and that this is just the start.”

Among the many highlights of her reign so far, one memory stands above the rest and serves as a reminder of how far she has come.

“I would say wearing the big red dress,” she said. “All the opportunities that have opened up for me and being able to be seen for all that I have done have been incredible. Not everyone sees the long nights at home doing homework. No one sees all the mental breakdowns and the not knowing if I am good enough. But being able to see the outcome has filled my heart with joy and love.”

Looking back on her journey, Clemens hopes her story encourages others to take chances and pursue opportunities, even when they may seem intimidating.

“I think that all the younger people who are scared to do something big, just do it,” she said. “You never know what the outcome will be, and even if the outcome is not something you want, you will grow from it. Just trying things and experiencing different things will help you grow as a person and open your world to a lot of new things and people.”

Those hoping to cheer on Clemens can catch her riding through downtown Marysville during the 2026 Marysville Strawberry Festival Grand Parade on Saturday, June 20, at 5:00 p.m. along State Avenue in Marysville.

Here, Now and Always: Finding common ground in Pueblo Country

 Father Sky, Mother Earth. Painting.
Tony Abeyta (Navajo) 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Roughly 1,400 miles separate the Tulalip Reservation from the heart of Pueblo Country in New Mexico. The landscapes are dramatically different. The evergreen forests and saltwater shores of the Pacific Northwest give way to high desert mesas, sandstone cliffs, and endless blue skies.

Apache Mountain Spirit Dancer. 24-foot bronze sculpture.
Craig Dan Goseyun (San Carlos Apache).
“The Apache Mountain Spirits are very important to Apache culture. They are the agents of the Supreme Being and provide protection from disease and enemies. Crowned with wooden-slat headdresses, armed with wooden swords and a bullroarer, they dance at night, wielding their wooden swords to the resonating sounds of drums, singing, and the whirling bullroarers. The Spirit Dancers bring the spiritual world into physical manifestation and give blessings to many ceremonies.”

Yet, inside the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the similarities between Native peoples become impossible to ignore.

Located on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture serves as one of the nation’s premier sources of Indigenous art, history, and material culture. Through exhibitions, educational programming, and community engagement, the museum interprets both the historical and contemporary lives of Native peoples throughout the Southwest. Its collections tell stories that span generations, from ancestral traditions to modern expressions of identity.

Bear Dancer. Bronze.
George Rivera (Pojoaque Pueblo)
Lightning Boy. Bronze.
George Rivera (Pojoaque Pueblo)

Walking through the museum’s galleries feels less like visiting a distant culture and more like visiting relatives whose stories have taken different paths across time and geography.

The centerpiece exhibition, Here, Now and Always, showcases more than 600 objects from the museum’s extensive collection. Ceramics, jewelry, textiles, paintings, fashion, basketry, and ceremonial items are presented through the voices and perspectives of Indigenous peoples of the Southwest. Rather than viewing Native history as something confined to the past, the exhibition centers living cultures and ongoing traditions.

Merciless. Mallery Quetawki (Zuni Pueblo.
Acrylic, gold, leaf, Declaration of Independence parchment on MDF.
“An homage to Mt. Taylor. He broken treaties and desecration of Mother Earth, may she show no mercy against the re-opening of Uranium mines that threaten her place of vigil. As born stewards to these places and spaces, we bleed alongside the environment that has been ravaged by industries with ‘money eyes.’ We live by the Laws of Nature and not by the fancy calligraphies of settler greed and domination. May we find solace in our prayers and cultures to bring balance back to this bleeding land.”

Like Coast Salish communities, Pueblo nations continue to balance the responsibilities of preserving ancestral teachings while embracing today’s realities. Artists featured throughout the museum demonstrate that Indigenous culture is not frozen in time. It evolves, adapts, and grows while remaining rooted in community, language, family, and place.

STAR CHILD. Painting.
Geoge Toya (Jemez Pueblo)
“Everything in the universe exudes energy or life. In Pueblo life, homage is paid to the elements – Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. The physical universe is composed of these elements. Everything within our universe has a spirit that exudes energy. This energy reminds us that we are only a part of this vast universe that we do not control and that we must respect and care for.”

One gallery showcases the renowned pottery traditions of Pueblo communities. Clay vessels adorned with intricate designs reveal generations of knowledge passed from one artist to the next. While the medium differs from the cedar carving traditions of the Northwest Coast, the underlying values are familiar. Native art carries teachings, records histories, and strengthens cultural identity.

Another exhibition, Makowa: The Worlds Above Us, explores Indigenous relationships with the sky. Through stories, observation, and traditional knowledge, Pueblo peoples demonstrate how the stars provide guidance, meaning, and connection to the universe. The exhibit highlights a truth recognized by Indigenous nations across Native America: our ancestors looked to the limitless skies and vast oceans not only for practical knowledge, but also for spiritual understanding.

Wild Spinach Purse.
Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo)

Perhaps most striking is the museum’s commitment to showcasing contemporary Indigenous artists. Throughout the galleries, visitors encounter works that address environmental stewardship, cultural survival, sovereignty, identity, and the responsibilities Native people carry into the future. These themes are not unique to the Southwest. They are conversations taking place in tribal communities from New Mexico to Washington State and far beyond.

Beaded High-Tops.
Teri Greeves (Kiowa)
“Though my medium may be considered ‘craft’ or ‘traditional’, my stories are from the same source as the voice running through that first Kowa beadworker’s needles. It is the voice of my grandmothers.”

For our Tulalip News audience, the selection of words accompanying this article offers a reminder that Indigenous peoples have always been innovators. The artists represented here honor their ancestors while speaking directly to present-day realities. Their work reflects adaptation and creativity in much the same way Tulalip artists continue to express Coast Salish identity through carving, weaving, painting, music, and storytelling.

Tewa Tales of Suspense! Print.
Jason Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo)

As viewers browse the accompanying images in this feature, each piece of artwork reveals the personal and cultural journeys behind their creation. Through the artists’ own statements and interpretations, they offer glimpses into Pueblo life while simultaneously reflecting universal Indigenous experiences.

The distance between Tulalip and Santa Fe may measure 1,400 miles by road, but Native people have always understood that connection is measured differently. It is found in the teachings shared between generations, in the stories carried through art, in the responsibility to honor ancestors, and in the commitment to leave something meaningful for those yet to come.

Brocade Sash & Shirt.
Randy Moquino (Jemez / Tesuque Pueblos)

Inside the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, those connections are everywhere. Different nations. Different homelands. Different artistic traditions. Yet the same enduring truth emerges from gallery to gallery.  Our tribal cultures are not relics of the past. They are living, thriving, and creating today. Here, now, and always.