Category: News
Dinesha Kane Chases Big Dreams with Dreamcatchers
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
According to the traditional Ojibwe legend, dreamcatchers first originated when members of their nation began to disperse throughout North America. The Ojibwe believed in a spiritual protector named Asibikaashi, or Spider Woman, who took care of the younger generations. As her people left the land, she had a difficult time reaching all of the children of the Ojibwe Nation and keeping watch over them. For this reason, she taught the mothers, sisters, aunties and grandmothers how to make sacred hoops, with webbing similar to hers, to protect the children while sleeping. When placed near the child’s bedside, the hoops catch all of the dreams, good and bad, passing through the night air and allow the good dreams to enter the child’s thoughts, while trapping the bad dreams in the webs. The bad dreams are burned away once daylight reaches the webbing. Since then, dreamcatchers have become popular keepsakes and many people, including non-natives, still believe the sacred hoop’s power of filtering dreams and nightmares.
Tulalip tribal member Dinesha Kane’s journey to creating dreamcatchers began when she lost her mother to an overdose. After enduring months of heartache, Dinesha gathered the will to attend a beading class taught by Winona Shopbell-Fryberg and Cyrus ‘Bubba’ Fryberg which ultimately led to the start of her new company, Coast Salish Concepts.
“I actually find art very therapeutic; I’ve liked art my whole life. After I lost my mom, it was really difficult, so I turned to art,” Dinesha expresses. “I started beading with Winona and Bubba, I went to their class and fell in love with it. From there I wanted to learn more. I wanted to learn weaving so I took a class. I couldn’t find any dreamcatcher classes, so I figured out how to do it on my own. I looked at enough dreamcatchers and figured how to deconstruct a couple, and from there I just went nuts.”
The majority of today’s dreamcatchers are manufactured by non-Indigenous companies, while all of Dinesha’s products are authentic Native American dreamcatchers that are often customized to the client’s wants, needs and aura. Dinesha’s unique creations also promote healing, as each dreamcatcher contains raw crystals. During her first year as a business, she has made numerous dreamcatchers of various sizes, colors and designs, including chakra sets.
“The chakra, we all have it within us. All our colors represent different parts of body from head to the ground,” she explains. “I got into healing and chakra through reiki, the crystals came with yoga. Because of my diagnosis, fibromyalgia, the medicine wasn’t working so I went the holistic route. From there, with my teas and my new home garden, came the crystals and chakras. I’m able to hold the crystals over whatever plexus I’m hurting or feeling on. I think it ties into our culture because we are a natural people. We eat off our land, only take what we need, we give back, we share and we heal through nature. I think that’s how I found my roots and my healing. I give you my food that will help you heal, my tea that I dried out myself, or my dreamcatchers with the crystals”
While working on a dreamcatcher for her sister, Dinesha stumbled across an idea that may very well make Coast Salish Concepts a household name in the near future.
“I was working on my sister’s dreamcatcher and happened to be sitting with it [horizontally] and something dropped. That’s when I thought that it would be kind of cool and unique to make the dreamcatcher horizontally instead of vertically. From there I started stringing it down, piece by piece and low and behold here comes this wonderfully made baby mobile and everybody loved it.”
Dinesha has already made a few customized dream-catching baby mobiles, including Harry Potter and mermaid themes. And although she is sure to see success with her dreamcatchers, Dinesha maintains that her sole focus is assisting the people of her community.
“I’m not in this to make a million dollars or to be the next great artist,” she states. “I just want to help people. Most of us come from very troubled backgrounds and a lot of us make it through, some of us don’t. I’d like to be able to help kids heal their own pain through learning how to make art. Winona really did that for me, sitting and talking in that circle, learning how to bead and learning our own tradition. That feeling, how well I felt after the classes, I want to be able to do that for others because I know people hurt like I do. Whether it’s past trauma, or the loss of a mom or a grandma from cancer, I’ve seen death from all different ways. I’ve never found better strength than going back to my own roots.”
Dinesha’s future plans for Coast Salish Concepts include a storefront where she can sell her dreamcatchers, tea and artwork, which also doubles as yoga studio to promote all around healing. For more information about the dreamcatchers and Coast Salish Concepts please contact Dinesha and JT Kane at (425) 876-8788. And to view more designs, please be sure to visit the Coast Salish Concepts Facebook and Instagram pages.
Cooking Together with Brit Reed
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Diabetes Care and Prevention program is working to make Tulalip a healthier community. With diabetes prevalent in Native communities throughout the United States, many families feel a need to change their die,t but don’t know where to begin, After a day’s hard work, it’s far easier to order in or carryout than to hit the stove and whip up a meal. The Diabetes rogram knows that adjusting to a healthy diet can be an overwhelming task, therefore, the program has created a series of cooking classes, hosted twice a week at the Hibulb Cultural Center. The exciting hands-on learning experience teaches community members how to prepare healthy, diabetic friendly, easy-to-make meals.
The Diabetes program called upon Tulalip community member Brit Reed to lead the series of classes. As a member of the Choctaw Nation, Brit found her passion for cooking at a young age while assisting her aunt in the kitchen. But it wasn’t until she received an assignment while working on her Master’s Degree at Evergreen State College, that she revisited her passion. For her assignment, she created the Facebook group page, Food Sovereignty is Tribal Sovereignty, where members of the tribal community can discuss traditional foods and share stories and recipes with one another. Brit continued to explore traditional foods and became inspired by Native cooks, such as the Sioux Chef, to attend culinary school and enrolled at the Seattle Culinary Academy. Most recently Brit became a member of I-Collective, a non-profit organization consisting of Indigenous chefs, activists, herbalist, and seed and knowledge keepers from across the nation.
“I grew up in a family where it was really important to cook at home,” Brit explains. “My parents were really strict about us eating around a table together, every single day, and having dinner. Even though I kind of hated that as a kid, when I grew up I really grew to appreciate that; I actually think I was initially inspired by that. Later on, I started working with my auntie in Nevada, cooking for our family and our community, learning about traditional foods and the way it can help people get better mentally, physically and spiritually.
“I started researching more about traditional foods, food sovereignty and food security,” she continues. “And also our history as Native Peoples and how being separated from our traditional foods has affected our health negatively. And how coming back to those healthier foods and traditional foods has helped address things like diabetes, hypertension and all those different things that now plague our communities.”
During the Cooking Together classes, community members learn new recipes, experiment with new foods and seasonings, and also learn new techniques such as knife skills. Once the meals are prepared, students enjoy their food creations together while sharing stories and exchanging life advice. The classes are open to the entire community and frequent attendees include the Tulalip Wisdom Warriors who provide both valuable insight and loads of laughs to each class.
“The Wisdom Warriors give us good direction, they’re kind of like our elders advisory group,” says Diabetes Care and Prevention Coordinator, Veronica ‘Roni’ Leahy. “They’re invested in what we’re doing because they believe in it. We’re creating memories with the elders. While they’re at these classes they share their health issues and talk to each other about how they’ve overcome it, and that’s where the healing is.”
The classes currently take place on Saturdays and Mondays through December and will be taking a brief holiday break before returning in February of 2018. The Diabetes Program recently dedicated the Monday classes to making a variety of soups from scratch and will be donating the food to the homeless shelter as well as the Senior Center.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to learn the basics in soup-making, like how to make a good healthy stock rather than using a box,” explains Roni. “Because we’re going to be making such large quantities, instead of giving the food to people who come to event, we decided to do more outreach in the community. Even though they aren’t at the classes with us, they are in our hearts and we’re thinking of them. We want to share the food with them and share that goodness that comes from the kitchen.”
So far, the students have enjoyed many delicious dinners together including chicken wings, roasted lemon chicken and BBQ pork loin accompanied by some scrumptious sides such as beet salad, roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted squash. Future requests from the Wisdom Warriors include seafood like clam chowder, geoduck and salmon.
“We try to make foods that are healthy, but we really want to cook foods that are exciting and also happen to be healthy and colorful,” Brit states. “I think it’s important to get people familiar with different ingredients that are readily available and are healthy; and also with the techniques on how to be able to cook in the kitchen, so they feel they can be creative and they actually enjoy being in the kitchen. I definitely want to incorporate more traditional ingredients in things that we are able to easily access from the grocery stores. I would really love to hear what the community is interested in learning because I’m here to help serve the community and want to teach what they want to learn about.”
The Diabetes Program also works with Tulalip TERO to hire Tulalip tribal cooks to assist Brit during the classes.
Help Chef Brit Reed close out the year by joining her last two classes of 2017 on Saturday December 9 and Monday December 11 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and be sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming Cooking Together classes slated for a fresh start in February of next year. For more information, please contact the Diabetes Prevention and Care Program at (360) 716-5642.
Festival of Trees Benefits Providence Children Center
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Extravagantly festive Christmas trees and wreaths, each decorated with its own unique theme and style, brightened the Orca Ballroom at the Tulalip Resort Casino during the 32nd annual Festival of Trees. The week-long celebration kicked off November 28 with Opening Night festivities, continued with the excitement-filled Gala Dinner and Live Auction on December 1, and concluded December 2 with Teddy Bear Breakfast.
Each year, thousands of community members take part in the Festival of Trees – from volunteer, sponsors, and attendees – to raise funds for Children’s Services at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. For more than three decades, Providence Children’s Center has been providing comprehensive, family-oriented care and highly specialized therapies – such as physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapy – for children with a wide variety of special needs.
“Knowing this is one of the largest charitable events for Snohomish County, it is appropriate for us to host and participate with goodwill and sharing the opportunity to help all children in need,” stated Marilyn Sheldon, manager of Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund, on the importance of hosting Festival of Trees and being the title sponsor. “We recognize that over 50% of Tulalip’s population is 0-24 years of age and Providence is our local hospital for care most tribal members use for emergency situations and other needs. Also, this event brings many to our facilities for the week and encourages them to come back and host their own business/charity event at our venue.”
A highlight of the holiday season, the Festival of Trees provides entertainment for countless families and children. Whether it’s a black-tie evening with a three-course dinner or a free afternoon with cookies and Santa, the Festival’s variety of events offer holiday cheer for all kinds of crowds. The beautifully decorated Christmas trees won’t soon be forgotten as their specialized themes like ‘Every Kid Needs a Hero’ and ‘Merry Lego Christmas’ to ‘Penguin’s Playground’ and ‘Mount Elegance’ capture the imagination.
During the Gala Dinner and Live Auction, the glittering Christmas trees, wreaths, and a towering tree arch were sold to the highest bidders. Several of the trees were reserved to be put on display throughout the Children’s Center as a special treat for the kids this holiday season.
As the Snohomish County community grows, the need for Children’s Center services has increased dramatically – 7% in the last year alone – which equates to almost 10,000 visits to the Center annually. Recognizing this tremendous need to provide for more children in the growing community, proceeds from the several fundraising events comprising the Festival of Trees directly supports the Children’s Center. The generosity of the donors and Festival attendees support Providence in growing and expanding the specialized therapies, equipment and educational classes that do so much to change young lives.
Over the past three decades, more than $10 million has been raised to care for the children and families of our community. However, this year’s Festival of Trees was one for the record books as it drew in the largest attendance ever, which resulted in a staggering $1.2 million raised from the week’s events.
All funds raised will support Providence programs and services such as Pediatrics, the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, the Children’s Center, the Autism Center, and Camp Prov, a summer camp for children with special needs.
“The lives of thousands of children, that includes Tulalip tribal children, will be helped thanks to the generosity received from the Festival of Trees fundraising efforts,” said Board of Director Mel Sheldon, twelve-year member of the Providence General Foundation. “We are very fortunate to have a relationship with Providence Medical Center and to support such an amazing opportunity that really looks at the bigger picture. We all want to do our part to create a sustainable and healthy community.”
I-5 and 116th Street Upgrades
Phase 4 begins early 2018 with limited short overnight closures
TULALIP, Wash. – The Tulalip Tribes has been leading this interchange improvement project for many years. Last year saw the completion of Phase 3 of the interchange improvements that replaced the existing three-lane bridge with a six-lane bridge and connected the widening of 116th east and west of the interstate. Phase 4, which will begin construction in early 2018, will construct new wider ramps with more turning lanes and remove the existing ramps. The existing two ramp intersection signals will be removed and combined into one ramp signal on the center of the bridge over I-5. This one signal will put the interchange in to a Single Point Interchange configuration, which will have enough capacity to handle the growth in the area for the next 20 years. Phase 4 is the final phase of interchange improvements for this project.
Construction of Phase 4 will begin ‘on the ground’ very early in 2018 and be completed in the fall of 2018. Impacts to traffic during construction will be even less than they work during the construction of Phase 3. I-5 closures are limited to a handful and they are short overnight closures of 8 hours or less. Ramps will be narrowed and shifted with restriping, traffic safety drums, and concrete barriers in the early phases of construction. Ramps will each have a few overnight closures to shift traffic lanes and lay asphalt over the course of the summer 2018. The street will stay open in both directions except during the erection of the signal bridge on top of the bridge over I-5. This one time closure is planned for one night in the late summer of 2018. These limited impacts to traffic during construction should not delay drivers significantly in 2018.
We are very excited to see the completion of this regional interchange improvement next year and we are thankful for the partnering, support and participation by BIA, FHWA, WSDOT, Snohomish County, City of Marysville and Community Transit to develop and implement these improvements for our community and the greater Snohomish County and State of Washington.
We are equally excited to focus our attention again on safety and access improvement needs to the interchanges that serve The Tulalip Tribes Indian Reservation and City of Marysville including 88th St NE Interchange and 4th St Interchange.
For more information, contact Debbie Bray, Tulalip Transportation Manager, at 360-716-5024 or by email at dbray@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Tulalip appoints interim Police Chief Sherman Pruitt
TULALIP, Wash. – December 4, 2017 — Patrol Commander Sherman Pruitt was sworn-in by the Tulalip Board of Directors to lead the Tulalip Police Department. Interim Chief Pruitt is stepping in for former Tulalip Chief of Police Carlos Echevarria who resigned, effective 12/4/17, citing personal reasons.
Chief Echevarria served the Tulalip Police Department since 2001; he was interim Chief of Police for 11 months and in May 2014, he became the first Tulalip citizen to serve as Chief of Police post-retrocession (a process wherein the Tulalip Tribes took back jurisdiction of tribal lands in 2001). He said, “My focus for the Police Department has been to work in collaboration with other Tribal departments for the safety, health, welfare, education and outreach to the community. TPD’s mission is to reduce the number of our children exposed to violence and provide law enforcement support services to assist victims of crime.”
Chief Echevarria’s watchwords, ‘Trust, Pride, Dedication’ remain emblazoned across every Tulalip Police vehicle, a reminder that policing at Tulalip is truly about serving the people.
Chairwoman Marie Zackuse said the former chief left big shoes to fill, “Carlos served our community for 15 years and did an excellent job. We are proud of the fact that he was our Chief of Police and it was with great sadness that the Board of Directors accepted his resignation. His parents and grandparents taught him in a good way and he brought a lot of compassion to his job. He will be missed, my best to him and his growing family.”
Interim Chief Pruitt will serve the department while the Tulalip Board of Directors search for the right person to step in and lead the future of the Tulalip Police Department.
Interim Chief Pruitt is a 21-year veteran of the military; he served 12 years in the United States Marine Corp and an additional 9 years in the Reserve Air Force. He was deployed five times, serving in Somalia, Rwanda and Iraq. In his 13 years as a Tulalip Police Officer, Interim Chief Pruitt has worked as a Patrol Officer, Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Patrol Commander and now Interim Chief. In addition to his duties with the Tulalip Police Department, Interim Chief is cross-commissioned with the FBI and U.S. Marshalls as part of the Safe Trails Task Force, which fights against major crimes in Native America. He is a father of five and is happily married to his wife of 20 years.
“I will make sure we continue to serve with pride and respect,” said Interim Chief Pruitt. “We will continue to build trust with the community, along with mentoring our youth and making a difference in their lives. The Tulalip Tribes is thriving and we want to continue to get even better.”
Action Alert: File Comments with FCC on Net Neutrality by Thursday
On December 14, the FCC will vote on whether to repeal Net Neutrality. Indian Country is encouraged to stand up for internet freedom by filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission opposing this action by this Thursday December 7. If this item moves forward, Tribes and their citizens could be charged more for basic internet, could experience slower internet speeds and will continue to be on the wrong side of the Digital Divide.
Net Neutrality means that an internet service provider (ISP) cannot charge you more to access different sites or charge you more for faster speeds. Currently, you pay one bill to your ISP to access every site on the web at one speed. Under the new FCC plan, your ISP can charge you more money to access particular websites and can slow down your speeds if you chose not to purchase a fast lane. This could negatively affect Tribal Members and Tribal Governments that rely on the internet to stay connected to their members, governments, businesses and families.
NCAI filed comments with the FCC today. Feel free to use NCAI’s comments as a template or guide. Click here to view NCAI’s Net Neutrality Comments.
Repealing Net Neutrality could negatively impact Tribal Governments and their citizens by
- Corporate Interference in the Government-to-Government Relationship
- Corporations could monopolize and interfere with the Government-to-Government relationship by charging you more to access government websites or intentionally slowing down service to those websites
- Limits Tribal Self-Determination
- Internet providers could charge you more to access basic sites- email, education sites, healthcare sites, internal administration sites, natural resource mapping, educational video and streaming services, social media to connect with Tribal members and community
- More Costs for Tribal Governments
- Tribal Governments could be charged more to access the full internet including sites that are necessary functions- email, mapping, health administration
- Harms Data Sovereignty
- Internet providers could limit the data Tribal Governments can use over the internet- limiting telehealth, videoconferencing, education, streaming services, gaming, security
This action could allow Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Centurylink and other internet providers to charge consumers more to access different sites and will allow ISP’s to intentionally slow service. Many people anticipate Internet Service Providers setting up “fast lanes” for websites that you access most often, and then charging more for those “fast lanes.”
How to File with the FCC
Tribes are encouraged to file comments with the FCC opposing the FCC Action titled “Restoring Internet Freedom” WC 17-108. Due to the high volume of comments the FCC is receiving, we encourage Tribes to follow these steps.
File with the Electronic Comment Filing System
- Go to https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings
- For “Proceedings” enter “17-108” and select “17-108 Restoring Internet Freedom”
- Enter your information and upload your comments
- Submit through ECFS
- Email a copy to the FCC Office of Native Affairs and Policy at native@fcc.gov.
Tulalip Day: Embracing Heritage, Celebrating Culture
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The morning of November 22nd was a truly joyous occasion, as the Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary gymnasium was packed wall-to-wall with students and community members who gathered for an early celebration of Tulalip Day. Students were encouraged to wear traditional regalia according to their tribal cultures.
“Welcome everyone to Tulalip Day,” greeted Principal Douglas Shook to the jam-packed gymnasium audience. “We thank our tribal elders who are in attendance, our guests from Heritage High School and 10th Street, as well as all our family, friends, and community members for being here today. I am honored to be part of this day with you all.”
Tulalip pride was on full display with many students wearing traditional Coast Salish garb featuring cedar weaves, abalone shells, and woven wool. Other students shined bright in their colorful and stunning powwow regalia. Many hand-made, uniquely painted drums were seen carried by youth and audience members who came to drum united under a common heritage.
“It’s significant we are here today, being in a public school dressed in our traditional regalia, showing pride for our Native culture…that’s healing,” proclaimed cultural specialist Chelsea Craig. “During the boarding school era, lots of hard times happened for our people. One of the biggest things was our people weren’t allowed to speak their language. They weren’t allowed to sing their songs. If they did, they were beaten and thrown in jail.
“We started this morning assembly to try to heal what was done in education, and the fact we filled this auditorium with our kids, their families, and community members is humbling. So we are going to celebrate today, not just because it’s Native American Heritage Month, but because we are proud to be Native American every single day.”
The floor was opened to anyone in the audience who wanted to share a song, encouraging words to the youth, or a story. Native Liaisons for the Marysville School District, Matt Remle and Terrance Sabbas each took their turn greeting the admiring students and shared songs.
Ray Fryberg then brought up the Tulalip Canoe Family so their singers and drummers could fill the air with their enchanting, traditional sound. As they performed several songs, children and their families adorned in tribal regalia danced in the middle of the gym.
Watching her daughter and other students dance from the audience, proud mother Roselle Fryberg shared she felt overcome with joy because “the youth give me hope.”
Next up, the eager and energetic powwow dancers took center stage while Terrance Sabbas provided them with the necessary powwow music according to each style of dance; traditional, grass, fancy, and jingle.
Led by Natosha Gobin, the Tulalip Language Warriors closed out the near 60-minute assembly dedicated to embracing Native culture. The Language Warriors shared Martha Lamont’s berry picking song, a song many of the students have learned while participating in the annual Language Camp.
“What a beautiful Tulalip Day at Quil Ceda Elementary School this morning!” stated Board of Director, Theresa Sheldon, following the assembly. “Our kids sang their hearts out and danced with such joy. Anytime we can gather with our students in a good way makes for an excellent day.”
Native Sports and Baden join forces to create new business model
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Two Rivers Community Development Corporation, a non-profit located in North Bend, has created a new company called Native Sports to officially partner with Baden Sports Inc. in a new venture designed to empower Native youth through sports and business. The partnership also hopes to change the landscape of sports balls used on reservations across the country by providing exclusive tribal designed, top-of-the-line basketballs and footballs for play at all levels.
“Native Sports was created for the purpose of working with Native youth to create our next generation of leaders,” explained Chairman Daucey Brewington, a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. “One of our missions over the next ninety-days is to identify Native youth as potential board members both on their background/interests and their willingness to help develop this new concept.”
Native Sports and Baden Sports formally launched their partnership at the first Native Sports Youth Development Summit held at Baden’s headquarters in Renton on November 21st. Native youth from the twenty-nine tribes in Washington were invited to participate. Attendees learned about the newly formed Native Sports group and how they as youth can become involved in the organization.
Baden representatives provided product overviews and demonstrations, including balls engraved with the Native Sports logo. Proceeds from Native Sports will be used to further educational, athletic, and social development of Native American youth.
“I am proud to stand with Baden Sports to realize this dream of empowering our youth to live better lives through their own efforts,” said President and CEO of Native Sports, Lawrence SpottedBird, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma. “This dream is a result of many years of planning to come together. We will show this unique partnership can not only make a profit, but also engage young Native people to become leaders while learning key business skills along the way.”
Among the Youth Development Summit attendees were several members from Puyallup Tribe’s Youth Council and representatives from Muckleshoot. After listening in detail to how they could join the Native Sports business venture, the tribal youth got to meet Baden Sports Vice-President, Jake Licht, and then received a surprise meet and greet with Seahawks legend, Jim Zorn.
For more information about Native Sports or to learn about their products and programs for Native youth, please visit their website nativesportsllc.com
Native Heartbeats Creates Personalized Novelties With an Indigenous Twist
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
Three short years ago, young Tulalip tribal member Mackenzie Parks found herself in an auspicious situation while at a trade show in Los Angeles. Her eyes fell onto a laser-engraving machine, used to customize jewelry with personal messages. After inquiring about the machine from a salesperson at the show, she continued to observe the laser machine in action. As she studied the product, people began to approach Mackenzie, asking how the machine worked. She happily informed the small crowd about the laser-engraver and while doing so, decided to purchase one of her own, essentially selling the product to herself. Thus beginning her new business venture, Native Heartbeats.
“I am a young, entrepreneurial tribal woman with some big dreams for Native Heartbeats,” Mackenzie states. “I’ve invested my life savings into this business knowing that there are tons of people out in this world doing the same thing. Every time a team goes to get sports plaques, they go to a business like mine. The trouble with their business model is that they’re all fighting for the same customer. My vision is to create a new customer, kind of like my own niche market. What better than my Native American culture?”
The inspiration for Mackenzie’s new project came in the form of one of the world’s favorite carbohydrates, the potato. When hearing about a humorous story of a man successfully selling personalized potatoes nationwide, Mackenzie, along with her father Les Parks, conjured the idea of gathering and customizing flat beach rocks for tribal members across the nation. Now Mackenzie is the owner of a unique company that combines traditional Native American artwork with modern technology to create items such as drums and carvings that are engraved with family photos and personal messages.
Since purchasing the laser-engraver, Mackenzie has been perfecting her craft by learning the machine’s software and engraving several different types of materials. In addition to drums and woodcarvings, Mackenzie has successfully engraved photos and designs onto glass and stone, as well as leather. Les has been involved with Mackenzie’s project from the beginning, often bringing new ideas to the table. More importantly, he owned and operated a number of small businesses, and offers Mackenzie strong advice along her journey with Native Heartbeats.
The father-daughter duo have put their brains together on more than one occasion to create new products. Perhaps one of their most astonishing creations are wooden salmon carvings which feature engraved Coast Salish designs, as well as additional space for a picture and a message. The salmon carvings are one of many popular items and have been commissioned for both gifts as well as memorial plaques for celebrations of life. In the near future, Mackenzie plans on packaging smoked salmon and attaching it to the back of each personalized salmon carving.
Currently, Native Heartbeats has a variety of novelties such as mirrors, jewelry boxes, hot plates and coasters that are ready to be engraved with your favorite designs and photos. Mackenzie is eager to grow her new startup and equally excited to create custom keepsakes for tribal members all across Native America.
“I love my culture and I’m happy I can get into it by creating unique pieces for people who love it just as much as I do,” she expresses. “While I’m just now nurturing my business plans, watch how it will grow in coming months and years. I would be happy to sit with anyone and talk about what my business can make for you and your families.”
If you are searching for the perfect gift this holiday season that is both personal and unique, please visit the Native Heartbeats Facebook page; and be sure to send the page a message for orders, pricing and all other inquires.