Arts & Entertainment Archives - Page 31 of 112

Matika Wilbur’s Project 562: Natural Wanderment: Stewardship. Sovereignty. Sacredness at the Hibulb Cultural Center

New Exhibition- Matika Wilbur’s Project 562: Natural Wanderment: Stewardship. Sovereignty. Sacredness

October 23, 2015 at the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve

Tulalip, Washington – The Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve is proud to present Matika Wilbur’s newest Project 562 collection: “Natural Wanderment: Stewardship – Sovereignty – Sacredness”, an exhibition of Native American portraits and stories that honors and seeks to protect ancestral ways of life and lands in North America. Project 562 offers a creative relationship with people from 562+ Tribal Nations in the United States that builds cultural bridges, abandons stereotypes, and renews and inspires our national legacy.

Matika Wilbur’s Project 562 is an inspiring artistic adventure unfolding the living history of North America’s ancient peoples. Over the last three years and 250,000 miles, Wilbur, one of the nation’s leading photographers, has journeyed tirelessly to hear the stories and imbibe the culture and wisdom of the original peoples of the land. From Alaska to the Southwest, Louisiana to upper Maine, to date she has acquired exquisite portraits and compelling narratives from over 300 tribes. The stunning and unprecedented work of Project 562 has been featured in national and international media, attracted scores of thousands of visitors to galleries and museums in the U.S. and around the world, been awarded leading creativity grants, and drawn invitations from leading universities and institutions. Wilbur’s artistic mission has caused such intense conversation and transformative awareness about the vibrant, multifaceted identity of Native Americans she is brilliantly exploring.

This human-focused artistic undertaking has revealed that at the core of many Native American’s identities and lives in the United States is their indispensable connection to their ancestral lands. Wilbur recently posted in her blog: “Repeatedly in our journey, we have seen that land and associated rights are essential to the exercise of tribal sovereignty and the ability to preserve and promote culture . . . Where there is displacement from a homeland, there has come to be irrepressible yearning and struggle on all fronts for cultural wholeness and identity, as well as for communication and action about such crises.” This has become the rule, not the exception, as Wilbur has encountered in every visit to tribal nations long-standing struggles by activists, seed-keepers, wild rice harvesters, elders, and other culture bearers to maintain and re-establish indigenous rights to natural places and resources. From the Oak Flat’s struggle to maintain access to their sacred prayer place, Miccusookee’s fight for the Everglades, Lummi’s opposition to the coal train, Paiutes in dire battles for water preservation and rights in California, Southwest tribes’ organized protests against fracking and sacred despoliation . . . the list goes on.

Opening on October 23, 2015 at the Hibulb Cultural Center of the Tulalip Tribes, Wilbur is presenting an extraordinary exhibition of Native Americans devoted to honoring and protecting the sacred and natural world, which is one in the same in their world view. Despite western ideologies and systems that undermine this living truth, there remain the “people of the blue green water”, the “people of the tall pine trees”, the “people of the tide.” Wilbur uses portrait art to express the “ecological being” of sitters, imbuing these images and narratives with the aspiration and force of the original stewards of the land, which is vital to not only the sovereignty and dignity of Native Americans, but also the preservation and majesty of the natural world. As she explains: “With Hibulb’ s generous support, I’m able to share these remarkable portraits and narratives before the end of this total project, as it is crucial that these diverse Native Americans’ values and purposes be known right now. And I’ve featured the land itself, places of breathtaking beauty and wonder that inspire me to keep going in this long and demanding journey I’m on. The show is inspired by the peoples I’ve encountered and how I felt (and wrote in my journal) watching a sunrise above the Bonneville Flats in Utah – ‘Never had the earth been so lovely, nor the sun so bright, as just now.’”

To learn more about Project 562 please visit www.project562.com , follow Matika on Instagram @matikawilbur, or email info@project562.com.

23rd Annual Salmon Homecoming Celebration, Sept 18

Indigenous Futures: Fine art and stories, one comic at a time

Noel Franklin, cartoonist, print maker, poet, fundraiser, activist.Photo Courtesy of Noel Franklin. — Noel Franklin, cartoonist, print maker, poet, fundraiser, activist.
Photo Courtesy of Noel Franklin.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Recently, the Seattle Art Museum presented PechaKucha Seattle volume 63, titled Indigenous Futures. PechaKuchas are informal and fun gatherings where creative people get together and present their ideas, works, thoughts – just about anything, really – in fun, relaxed spaces that foster an environment of learning and understanding. It would be easy to think PechaKuchas are all about the presenters and their presentation, but there is something deeper and a more important subtext to each of these events. They are all about togetherness, about coming together as a community to reveal and celebrate the richness and dimension contained within each one of us. They are about fostering a community through encouragement, friendship and celebration.

The origins of PechaKucha Nights stem from Tokyo, Japan and have since gone global; they are now happening in over 700 cities around the world. What made PechaKucha Night Seattle volume 63 so special was that it was comprised of all Native artists, writers, producers, performers, and activists presenting on their areas of expertise and exploring the realm of Native ingenuity in all its forms, hence the name Indigenous Futures.

“If we are going to talk about Indigenous Culture, then we have to talk about representing ourselves. It is important for Native Americans to take over that part of representation. I do that through my comics.”

Noel Franklin is many things; a cartoonist, a print maker, a poet, a fundraiser and an activist. She worked with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundations, a foundation to serve as a focal point for the renewal and regeneration of Native Americans in the Greater Seattle area and beyond, to include the Northwest Native Canoe Center in the Lake Union Park masterplan. The Canoe Center will be an active cultural center where hands-on experiences teach visitors about Native American life while supporting the ongoing vibrancy of canoe culture traditions for present and future generations.

Noel’s comics have been published in more than five countries, and she is the first female artist to win the Emerald City Comic Con ‘I Heart Comics Art’ award. Noel’s current day job is at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

“My father’s family is Eastern Band Cherokee and my mother’s family is from Scotland,” explains Noel. “My father joined the military like many male Native Americans, not too many options out there when you don’t have an education. I got to enjoy the poverty and intergenerational PTSD that so many of us are familiar with. As a youth I moved around so much because of the military that I was unable to really know my grandparents who spoke the Cherokee language and really lived their culture.”

Because of her father’s military career, Noel was constantly on the move from city to city. She was unable to make roots in any one location and felt isolated from her Native heritage. Her internal angst and loneliness would manifest itself on her canvas of choice, varying from paper for drawing and painting to stone-cold metal used for art welding.

“I art welded my way to a fine arts degree from Western Washington University,” says Noel. “Back then, in 1994, I didn’t think I knew who I was, but when I look back at my art I was painting and welding figures of crows, beetles and trees. I was talking to nature even though I didn’t know how to talk to nature. How did I know how to be Native when I was denied the ability? I continued to make art that reflected my pain of not knowing my own history and also the violence that came by growing up in a family that had multiple generations of post-traumatic stress disorder. However, I started learning about my Native culture and celebrating it as I learned.”

As she dedicated herself to learning about her Native heritage and the culture she was denied as a youth, Noel began to see the world differently. She looked at the world of art and representation through the eyes of a Native woman. She became self-conscious of a key theme that is prominent in the Native American resurgence; the misinterpretations of Native values and identity that act as continued colonization over Native peoples.

“So why do I now represent my culture through comics? Do you remember Peter Pan? I used to think I liked that movie, but as I grew older and learned of my heritage something changed,” recalls Noel. “I watched Peter Pan as an adult and was beyond offended at the ‘What Made the Red Man Red’ scene. I had to rethink a lot of things. If we are going to talk about Indigenous Culture, then we have to talk about representing ourselves. It is important for Native Americans to take over that part of representation. I do that through my comics.”

Noel attributes her unique style, building dark and light shapes from densely knotted lines, to her experience with stone lithography. She also feels that gutters between panels keep the viewer from total immersion in the world she invents in her stories. In addition to creating Gone Girl Comics, she is a regular contributor to inkart.org and has multiple journal and anthology publications. Presently, Noel is working towards creating her first graphic novel.

“Page four of a story called Seagulls Screaming is about how Native American culture is present and visible in Seattle,” said Noel. “Native American culture is not going anywhere. You might recognize the totem pole from Victor Steinbrueck Park, located just on the outside of Pike Place Market.

“If I can leave you with anything at all it’s this: we can shape the physical Seattle, but until we shape our own lives by owning our own representation and telling our own stories, which will strengthen not only ourselves but others, we’re going to end up with ‘Why Is the Red Man Red’ for the rest of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in that at all.”

Edgy, urban fashion in Marysville

Georgina Medina, owner of Zurban Wear. Photo/Kim Kalliber — Georgina Medina, owner of Zurban Wear.
Photo/Kim Kalliber

by Kim Kalliber, Tulalip News

Bright colors and bold statements from a bright and bold woman.

Tulalip tribal member Georgina Medina recently opened Zurban Wear, a hip, urban clothing retail store in north Marysville. Boasting a laid-back vibe with racks of layer-friendly tanks, billowing tunics, trendsetting leggings, and bold t-shirts, fashion forward men and women have a new alternative to the mall, that offers prices competitive with the outlet stores.

Having an interest in fashion since she was young, opening a trendy clothing store was a natural choice for Medina. And opening a retail business is no easy feat. It takes persistence and skill. Seeking out the latest fashions and working with suppliers to build stock, finding a location, setting up shop and spreading the word are just some of the obstacles Medina has tackled.

“Last year I had been thinking of coming up with a clothing brand, but I looked into it and it is a lot of work. Finding someone to make your product, and get it out there, and then money-wise it is a lot,” explained Medina. “ But I wanted to do something with clothes, so then I came up with the clothing store. I fumbled around for a little bit, and then I came up with the name and it just went from there.”

Medina went on to describe the inspiration for the name Zurban Wear. “I went through all these names, trying to come up with the perfect one, something that would fit me and the clothing. I have a son named Zion, he’s my oldest child, so I took the first letter of his name and added urban. The clothing that we’re bringing is urban and up-to-date.”

Urban Wear features trend setting fashions by Filthy Dripped, Diamond, DFYNT and more.

With brands like Filthy Dripped, Diamond and more, offering cutting-edge clothing and accessories for men and women, Zurban Wear is an ideal place to shop for younger crowds and great for back to school gear.

“Our most popular sellers are our t-shirts, for the men,” said Medina. “For the girls it’s tank tops, crop tops and we also have flowy tops and leggings.”

“The response has been great. It’s really new, and everywhere I go someone’s talking about it. I’ve been having fun sales and things to draw people in, and I hope people just stop in to say hi.”

And this is not just a story of a small business owner; it’s a story of the strength and determination of overcoming addiction.

“I am a recovering addict,” said Medina. “I went through my piece of addiction, where I had nothing. I want all the people out there who are struggling with addiction, or are in recovery, to know that there is hope and you can change.”

If you’re itching to add some more flair to your look, check out this affordable boutique for trendy, stylish pieces that won’t break your budget.

Zurban Wear is located at 9920 State Ave, Suite I, Marysville WA 98270. (Behind La Hacienda restaurant, across from Fred Myers.) Also like Zurban Wear on Facebook @ Zurban Wear.

Tribal Casino In Michigan Stops Revenue-Sharing Payments Because Of Online Lottery Launch

The Gun Lake Tribe Says I-Lotto Violates Compact

By Brian Pempus, www.cardplayer.com

A Native American tribe with a casino in Michigan has stopped paying the state its cut because the state elected to offer lottery games on the Internet.

The tribe believes the state violated their revenue-sharing compact by launching online lottery products last summer. The compact was negotiated back in 2007.

The Gun Lake Tribe stopped making payments in June. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation receives roughly $60 million annually from the state’s tribal casinos. The Gun Lake Casino contributes roughly $13.3 million to the state annually.

According to crainsdetroit.com, other tribes may follow suit and stop their respective payments. Michigan has 12 tribes that have gambling facilities.

So far in 2015, online lottery sales have yielded $15.9 million for the state.

Americans spent more than $70 billion on the lottery in 2014, which makes it the most popular form of gambling in the country. More and more states are considering offering games on the Internet, with the most recent being North Carolina, according to a report from the Winston-Salem Journal. Florida is also considering bringing the games to the Internet one day.

State lotteries basically were given permission by the federal government to pursue online lottery services and products when the Department of Justice re-interpreted the Wire Act in December 2011. That move also resulted in three states launching online poker.

‘In The Spirit’ Contemporary Native Art at Tacoma Art Museum Through August

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Washington State History Museum, located in Tacoma, is currently celebrating the Pacific Northwest’s distinctive Native heritage with In the Spirit, an exhibition of contemporary Native American art that will be on display through Sunday, August 30. Beginning in 2006, the Washington State Historical Society partnered with the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center at Evergreen State College to host the exhibit and accompanying art market and festival. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the In the Spirit Contemporary Native Arts Exhibit showcases beautiful works by Native American artists. From traditional designs to contemporary themes, In the Spirit shares Native culture through carving, sculpture, graphic design, painting, and multimedia techniques.

Good Medicine, 2014. Acrylic on canvas. Eric Trippeconnic (Comanche Tribe). — Good Medicine, 2014. Acrylic on canvas. Eric
Trippeconnic (Comanche Tribe).

Transformation Fish, 2015. Micaceous clay and slip. Erin Genia (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate).

Bad Medicine Wheel, 2015. Ink on canvas. Charles W. Bloomfield (Pyramid Lake Paiute).

“Our hope is to offer the community an opportunity to explore the state’s rich cultural heritage through music, dance, and art,” says Jennifer Kilmer, Director of the Washington State Historical Society. “This year we are celebrating our commitment to sharing Native American culture with the 10^th anniversary of In the Spirit.”

Accompanying the annual exhibit was a Native American art market and festival, held on August 8, which filled the museum grounds with Native vendors selling exquisite works in all price ranges, while Native singers, musicians, and dance groups performed in the museum’s outdoor amphitheater.

This year’s festival featured award winning artists, carving demonstrations, gallery talks, and unique performances. The Lakota rock band, Scatter Their Own, performed their “Alter-Native” music that conveys messages of protecting the Earth and ensuring that water and food will remain pure for future generations. A truly stunning performance occurred as Vince Redhouse, two-time Grammy nominated musician and member of the Navajo Nation, shared his woodwind genius with the traditional Native Flute.

Vince Redhouse (Navajo) shares his unique Native flute music with museum patrons.Photo/Micheal Rios — Vince Redhouse (Navajo) shares his unique Native flute music with museum patrons.
Photo/Micheal Rios

“I’ve been asked why I play music like ‘Claire de Lune’ by Debussy or Pat Methany’s ‘The Road To You’ on the Native Flute,” says Redhouse. “To me it’s fairly simple. I want to play the most beautiful music ever written or played on what I consider the most beautiful sounding instrument. Also, my unique upbringing as an urban Indian that was exposed to great music and training all through my life makes this my gift to others.”

Redhouse hopes that because of the significance of the Native flute to its people, his playing of this instrument in the bold and unique way that he does will make Native Americans more visible in this 21^st century.

“We have a spiritual connection to this land that is very unique and a spirituality that was vital to those who lived on this land then and now,” continues Redhouse. “I believe music is more than what we hear, but is something that we feel at a very deep place. Beyond the technique and clichés is a place where music becomes the song that transcends all and is the universal language.”

The In the Spirit exhibit will be on display thought Sunday, August 30. For those not able to make the short journey to Tacoma to witness the 29 pieces of contemporary Native American artwork, in a variety of mediums, we now share with you some of the most spectacular In the Spirit pieces.

When School’s Out, The Club is in

Bubbleman, Gary Golightly, performs his soap bubbles routine to the delight of the kids.Photo/Micheal Rios — Bubbleman, Gary Golightly, performs his soap bubbles routine to the delight of the kids.
Photo/Micheal Rios

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

This summer, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club buzzed with a minimum of 150 kids per day. The newly updated learning center and immersion rooms have been a great success, club officials say, with nearly full-occupancy occurring in each activity room every single day, and that’s just the beginning of the story for Summer Camp 2015.

The Club’s Summer Camp program ran from July 13 – August 21. There were 364 registered kids for this year’s Summer Camp, up from the 340 registered last year, and a record amount of parents who took advantage of the Club’s before care program, with an estimated 100 kids at the Club every day by 9:00 a.m. Membership dues were completely free for the entire five-week Summer Camp program for any child who lives on the Tulalip Reservation, tribal or non-tribal.

“Summer Camp was definitely hoppin’ this year. From six in the morning to six at night we were full of kids, which is great,” says Diane Prouty, Program Director for the Tulalip Club. “The Boys & Girls Club is a safe place. We are always telling the kids this is a positive place, it’s our job to keep it safe and positive for every single one of our kids. We want every kid who walks through our doors to feel safe and to have fun, that’s our number one priority.”

Air brushing body paint and ballon shapes made for a fun filled day.Photos/Micheal Rios — Air brushing body paint and ballon shapes made for a fun filled day.
Photos/Micheal Rios

The Club is more than just a safe, stable place for kids to spend their summer breaks while out of school. Along with numerous field trips, weekly presenters, and daily activities, the camp also provides kids with lunch and snacks. Throughout the summer, the Club’s staff planned a variety of programs to keep kids learning and exploring. Field trips were a regular occurrence, including visits to local water parks, Kayak Point County Park, and Forest Park in Everett that currently features an animal farm and petting zoo.

Learning opportunities are a large focus of the summer program with several special guest speakers dropping in to present to the children. From the local school district and transportation to The Reptile Man to Seattle Children’s Museum, the guest speakers and presenters kept the kids’ attention peaked by mixing fun activities with ideas that foster a creative imagination.

The Reptile Zoo in Monroe brought their assortment of snakes, turtles, and even crocodiles to the Club.Photos/Micheal Rios — The Reptile Zoo in Monroe brought their assortment of snakes, turtles, and even crocodiles to the Club.
Photos/Micheal Rios

“We had at least one guest every week, if not more,” continues Prouty. “We also did a soccer camp within our summer camp this year. We had a local soccer coach come in with one of his very talented, young players. They would come to the Club twice a week, every week during the camp and work with our kids. They had the kids do soccer drills and worked to build their understanding of the game while teaching them new skills. It was really cool and the kids just loved it.”

Overall, members of the Club’s summer program spent their break forging new friendships, exploring their surroundings and opening their minds to new concepts and knowledge. School might have been out, but Club members were keeping their brains and bodies active.

Drive-In Night. The kids worked all week to create their own make-shift cardboard cars so they could go to the drive-in and watch classic cartoons and movies.Photos/Micheal Rios — Drive-In Night. The kids worked all week to create their own make-shift cardboard cars so they could go to the drive-in and watch classic cartoons and movies. Photos/Micheal Rios

To learn more about the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club and its mission to enable young people to reach their full potential, visit https://sites.google.com/site/tulalipboysgirlsclub or call 360-716-3400 to set up a tour with a club ambassador.

Komplex Kai at Tulalip Resort Casino, August 28

Taste of Tulalip Wine + Food Celebration Announces Star-studded Line-Up for 7th Annual Festival

Tickets go on Sale August 14, 2015

Tulalip, Washington — Tickets for the 7th annual Taste of Tulalip, held at the Tulalip Resort Casino, will go on pre-sale at 9:00 a.m. PDT on August 14, 2015. Executive Chef Perry Mascitti and Sommelier Tommy Thompson have spent the past year organizing a star-studded line-up of food, wine and traditional show-stopping entertainment for ticket holders. Run, don’t walk, when purchasing your passes because this highly anticipated event sells out every year. Seats for the Friday, November 13 celebration dinner may be purchased by calling (360) 716-6888, and the passes for the Saturday, November 14 events can be purchased via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.

The 2-day festival, with a focus on wine, food and tradition, begins with the Friday night wine and passed hors d’oeuvres reception, followed by the fittingly named Celebration Dinner. The multi-course repast celebrates “La Famiglia,” as the Italians say, it’s all about “the family!” The evening’s inspiration comes from the love of Italian grandmothers everywhere who have a special passion for cooking amazing food every day for their families. In tribute, Tulalip chefs will recreate many of their beloved recipes, paired with a global offering of rare, top wines. Friday night’s Celebration Dinner is priced at $225 per person, and tickets are limited.

On Saturday “All Access” pass holders ($350 per person) will enjoy early entrance to the unforgettable Grand Taste and Rock and Roll Challenge; a wine seminar — Washington State AVA Smackdown featuring some of the State’s tops wine producers, hosted by superstar wine guy, Anthony Giglio. Also featured, a VIP seminar featuring Chef Chris Cosentino’s cooking demo, table talk and Q & A session on the Albert Lee Appliance Cooking Stage; and a private Magnum Party where guests will be treated to a selection of high level wine and food pairings.

The weekend’s highlight is always the Grand Taste, spanning four hours and featuring lavish food stations, as well as over 100 wines from Washington state, Oregon, California, Oporto, Maderia, global selections of bubbles, as well as pours of late harvest and ice wines and craft beer. Grand Taste is priced at $110 per person and includes the edgy Rock -n- Roll Cooking Challenge – a fast-paced culinary roller coaster with slammin’ rock and roll music! Expect fun and great tunes as local Seattle and Tulalip Chefs and Sommeliers compete “Iron Chef” style with celebrity judges (Chef Chris Cosentino, Chef Thierry Rautureau, Chef T, and Mauny Kaseberg), who are looking for the best dish and wine pairing. This year’s emcee will be the famously entertaining Chris Cosentino from San Francisco’s Cockscomb and Boccalone, along with wine writer, educator and raconteur, Anthony Gigilo. This show-stopping cook-off is sure to keep things lively and the chefs on their toes!

To top off the weekend, Thompson will also feature an in-depth reserve wine tasting/seminar called “Turning Water Into Wine” with Sparky and Sarah Marquis of the award-winning Australian winery, Mollydooker Wines. The tasting line-up will include 12 of Mollydooker Wine’s recently released 2014 wines. Tickets are priced at $125 per person and are available for purchase by calling (360) 716 1239.

And now for the stars of the Taste of Tulalip Wine + Food Celebration weekend…

Sommelier Tom Thompson – Tulalip Resort Casino
Tulalip Wine Director Tom Thompson is always first in line to uncork the latest and greatest boutique finds. He has carefully selected well over 100 pours from Washington, Oregon, California, Germany, and New Zealand for the “Wine Event of the Year”, as recognized by the Washington Wine Commission. Thompson continues to add breadth to Tulalip’s extensive cellar, garnering Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence.

Executive Chef Perry Mascitti – Tulalip Resort Casino
Executive Chef Perry is the man behind the pan! He oversees seven dining venues, in-room meals for the Four Diamond hotel and catering for the entire Resort Casino. His creativity shines along with that of his culinary team at the multi-course Celebration Dinner, the nibbles of endless proportions at the Grand Taste, and he is the mastermind behind the Rock and Roll Challenge.

Chris Cosentino – Guest Chef
Chris Cosentino, aka @OffalChris, is the Chef/Owner of Cockscomb and Boccalone and an Award-Winning Chef and Cookbook Author. Cosentino is a graduate of the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University and went on to build his résumé at Red Sage in Washington, D.C. and Rubicon, Chez Panisse, Belon, and Redwood Park in the San Francisco Bay Area. Cosentino took his first executive chef position at Incanto in 2002 where his inspired and innovative interpretations of rustic Italian fare promptly earned the restaurant both critical and popular acclaim. Cosntino’s debut on BRAVO’s “Top Chef Masters” series was a huge success earning over $140,000 for the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson’s research and being named the season four winner. And in 2012, he saw the debut of his first cookbook “Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal”.

Anthony Giglio – Wine Expert
Anthony Giglio is a writer, educator and raconteur who motivates countless imbibers to trust their own tastes and relax the rules. Giglio’s witty, unpretentious style can be discerned in the weekly column he writes for Details Magazine’s “Food + Drinks” section. He has written 10 books, including three editions of the annual FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE Wine Guide review of 1,000+ wines; five editions of the enormously popular Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide; and his highly-regarded first book, Cocktails in New York.

Mike Gobin – 2015 Taste of Tulalip Featured Artist
Native American artist Michael Gobin meticulously uses his hands and knives to carve the Pacific Northwest’s indigenous red and yellow cedar trees in an effort to bring the sacred wood back to life. A treasure to the community, Gobin skillfully resurrects Tulalip’s traditions and ancestral stories through his works of art.

Kerry Shiels – 2015 Honorary Winemaker Côte Bonneville
After earning her Engineering degree, Shiels worked for two years in Torino, Italy, and then moved on to Case New Holland’s world headquarters in Chicago for 18 months before entering the world of wine. From there, Kerry worked the 2006 vintage at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 2007 harvest at Australia’s Tahbilk, and then went on to work the 2007 vintage at Folio – Michael Mondavi’s Napa winery. During the 2008 harvest, Shiels served as the assistant white winemaker to Rich Arnold at Robert Mondavi Winery, followed by the antipodal 2010 harvest at Tapiz in Argentina, and then finally returning home to work full-time at Côte Bonneville.

Bill Wixey – Emcee
Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, Bill feels privileged to chronicle the issues that affect his community. A newsroom leader, he has anchored and reported in the Seattle area since 1998, and is co-host of This Morning on Q13 FOX News weekdays from 7 to 10 a.m. Offering commentary on major news events from all over the world, Wixey has reported from Asia following the 2004 tsunami, from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and covered the Olympic Games in Beijing, Vancouver and London. He has been honored with two Emmys for his broadcast work.

Kaci Aitchison – Emcee
A Seattle native and proud University of Washington grad, Kaci picked up her first microphone as a sophomore, and hasn’t put it down since. She got her start in radio at KISS-FM, to meeting the big brothers she never knew she wanted as host on The Bob Rivers Morning Show. In 2009 she joined the Q13 This Morning as a features reporter and is now co-anchor. Voted “Best Local TV Personality in Western Washington”, Aitchison is also one of the lead singers with local rock and roll band Spike and the Impalers.

Thierry Rautureau – Rock and Roll Challenge Guest Judge
For 26 years, Chef In The Hat Thierry Rautureau owned Rover’s Restaurant, which offered cuisine that Rautureau described as Northwest Contemporary with a French accent. Currently, Rautureau is the chef/owner of Luc and Loulay Kitchen & Bar in Seattle, Washington. Rautureau was born in the town of Saint Hilaire de Loulay in the Muscadet region of France. At 20, he moved to the United States and worked at various fine restaurants, including La Fontaine in Chicago, the Regency Club for Joachim Splichal in Los Angeles, and the Seventh Street Bistro with Laurent Quenioux, also in Los Angeles. While visiting Seattle in 1987, Rautureau dined at Rover’s and discovered that the restaurant was up for sale. Tired of Los Angeles, he decided to buy the restaurant so that he could express his culinary creativity as the chef/owner. The rest, as they say, is
history.

Mauny Kaseburg – Rock and Roll Challenge Guest Judge
Mauny Kaseburg is a Northwest-born, Paris-trained food and wine consultant who many will remember from her many years on KUOW radio. In 2015, Mauny celebrated her 28th year as Culinary Producer for the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen. Mauny also spent five years in the Northern California wine country, serving as Marketing Director for the Russian River Valley Winegrowers. She returned to Seattle in 2008 to marry the merman of her dreams – Geoff Golden.

Chef T (Savuthy Dy) Rione XIII – Rock and Roll Challenge Guest Judge
Savuthy Dy is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and has worked at The Herb Farm, Qube, Piola y Crota in Italy, and Book Bindery, among others. Rock and Roll Challengers beware – Chef T was on the 2014 Taste of Tulalip Rock and Roll Challenge winning team.

Taste of Tulalip tickets go on sale August 14, 2015. Hotel rooms and spa appointments will become near and dear during this 2-day extravaganza. Reserve a room at the AAA Four Diamond resort by going to www.tulalipresort.com or by phoning 1-866-716-7162. For more information, visit www.tasteoftulalip.com.

The 2015 Taste of Tulalip sponsors include: Delta Air Lines, Albert Lee Appliance – Bosch and Thermador, Dillanos Coffee, Mercedes Benz of Lynnwood, Coke, Le Creuset, Seattle Magazine, and Tasting Room Magazine.

About Tulalip Resort Casino
Award winning Tulalip Resort Casino is the most distinctive gaming, dining, meeting, entertainment and shopping destination in Washington state. The AAA Four Diamond resort’s world class amenities have ensured its place on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold and Traveler Top 100 Resorts lists, as well as Preferred Hotel & Resorts membership. The property includes 192,000 square feet of gaming excitement; a luxury hotel featuring 370 guest rooms and suites; 30,000 square feet of premier meeting, convention and wedding space; the full-service T Spa; and 6 dining venues, including the AAA Four Diamond Tulalip Bay Restaurant. It also showcases the intimate Canoes Cabaret; a 3,000-seat amphitheater. Nearby, find the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, Cabela’s; and Seattle Premium Outlets, featuring more than 110 name brand retail discount shops. The Resort Casino is conveniently located between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. just off Interstate-5 at exit 200. It is an enterprise of the Tulalip Tribes. For reservations please call (866) 716-7162.

Tulalip Hip Hop Artist Komplex Kai in ‘Don’t Funk Up Our Beats’ Contest

Komplex Kai, a Native Emcee from Tulalip, is part of the “Don’t Funk Up Our Beats” contest from HipHopDX and Funk Volume. Check out his video featuring the song, The First, from his 2010 album Mask’d Dreamz.

You have until August 23 to visit hiphopdx.com and cast your vote. Contestants need 250 votes to eligible to be selected as a finalist, so spread the word and listen to his beats.

Additional Komplex Kai videos can be found on YouTube and you can follow him on Facebook.