Artist sought to illustrate Suquamish Basket Ogress story

/in ,

The story of Snail Woman, the Suquamish version of the Basket Ogress, will be the second in a four-part children’s book series — and an artist is needed to help bring it to the page.

Suquamish Tribal Elder and storyteller Barbara Lawrence, who leads the tribe’s Since Time Immemorial curriculum development, has adapted the traditional oral story into book form.

Lawrence grew up hearing Coast Salish Basket Ogress story while picking berries with her aunties.

A few years ago, Chairman Leonard Forsman introduced Lawrence to the Suquamish-specific telling of the story, directing her to documented oral histories. Its distinctive ending is one she is saving for readers to discover.

Like the other stories Lawrence shares, its purpose reaches beyond entertainment.

“Every story I tell has something about being respectful, being responsible, being careful,” she says.

$17K award for selected artist

The Suquamish Tribe’s Education Division secured a second ArtsWA grant to pay for illustrations.

The book follows Gossiping Clams, illustrated by Samantha Robson. Once all four books are completed, they will be published as a set.

Details:

  • The selected artist must complete 17 illustrations by June 17, 2027. Applicants must be a Suquamish tribal artist, a local Coast Salish artist, or a direct family member in a local Suquamish family household.
  • The selected artist will be paid $17,000 for the completed project.
  • Interested artists must schedule an in-person appointment with Lawrence in her office to discuss the story. Appointments must be scheduled by Oct. 15, 2026, and take place before Oct. 31, 2026.
  • In addition, applicants must submit a cover illustration concept by Nov. 15, 2026. The Culture Committee will select the artist by the end of the year.
  • Digital design tools are permitted, but AI-generated art is not allowed. Deadlines are firm.
  • To schedule an appointment, contact Lawrence at blawrence@suquamish.nsn.us.

Call for Artists – WIGA Holiday Card

/in

 

WIGA Holiday Card: Call for Artists!
Submissions due by October 13 at noon

Overview
Each year, the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) produces a holiday card to share with members, tribal leaders, policymakers, vendors and friends. The card is an opportunity to express heartfelt appreciation during the holiday season and to showcase Native art that reflects the values of WIGA and its members.

WIGA is looking for a Native artist to design the art for this year’s card. Information about the project follows. Interested artists should email: ‘info@washingtontribes.org’ with the materials outlined under “Submission Requirements.” All submissions must be received no later than October 13 at noon.

Artwork Requirements
• Reflect and help tell the story of tribes in Washington
• Be culturally relevant and appropriate for a broad holiday audience (inclusive
and not overtly religious)
• Be adaptable for print and digital formats
• Be high enough resolution for professional printing
• Delivered in required file formats
• Clear rights/use agreement
* Any artwork selected will become the property of WIGA, with credit to the artist, and may be used by WIGA without restriction in print, digital, and related formats.

The artist will be selected via a competitive solicitation process in mid-October.

Scope of Work
• Provide original artwork for WIGA’s holiday card
• Collaborate with WIGA staff to refine the design
• Deliver print-ready and digital-ready files by deadline

Eligibility
• Native artists/designers
• Members of or employees of WIGA-member tribes, preferred

Submission Requirements
• Portfolio of relevant work
• Short statement of interest and creative approach
• Cost/budget
• Timeline for draft and final delivery
• Submit by emailing: ‘info@washingtontribes.org.’ All submissions must be received no later than October 13 at noon.

Selection Process
• Submissions will be reviewed by WIGA staff for artists’ depth of experience and professionalism, quality of their previous work, interest, budget and timeline.

Timeline
• October 13: Submissions due
• October 16: Artist selected and notified
• October 17-31: Design collaboration period
• November 1-13: Card development/print ready files delivered

Call for Artists – Wellness Department

/in

The Wellness Department is looking for a Suquamish tribal artist to create art to be used in branding the new Cedar House.

The Cedar House is designed to be a holistic program guided by clinical practices while providing a trauma informed culturally inclusive space to become rooted and grow. Participants will be housed by the program, assuring a drug and alcohol-free environment, while providing space to attend self-help groups, counseling, culturally infused projects, skill building opportunities and peer support.  

The cedar is a tree with rich symbolic meaning across many cultures. It is often associated with strength, healing, wisdom, and protection. 

Some common meanings include: 

Strength and resilience – Cedars are long-lived, sturdy trees that withstand harsh conditions, making them symbols of endurance and stability. 

Healing – Cedarwood has been used traditionally in medicine, aromatherapy, and purification practices. It is often associated with emotional and physical restoration. 

Protection – In many Indigenous traditions and ancient cultures, cedar is considered a sacred tree used in ceremonies for cleansing and protection. 

Wisdom and longevity – Because cedars can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, they symbolize lasting wisdom, legacy, and continuity. 

Peace and grounding – The tree’s evergreen nature and calming scent evoke tranquility, rootedness, and a connection to nature. 

The name cedar itself conveys qualities such as: 

  • Steadfast
  • Rooted 
  • Protective 
  • Calm 
  • Enduring 
  • Hopeful 
  • Restorative 

Submission Details: 

  • Cedar bows should be incorporated into the image; artwork should be scalable – meaning it will work well on a business card or a large sign
  • $100 stipend for art submissions (one submission per person) 
  • Selected artist to receive $800-$1000 for the work
  • Send submissions to apurser@suquamish.nsn.us 
  • Deadline for submissions: Oct. 12, 2026 

txʷəl ʔiɫlaq ɫuʔaciɫtalbixʷ For the future generations to come

/in ,

BY: Cassy George, Suquamish Language Program Coordinator

The Suquamish Language Program’s mission statement is to revitalize the Suquamish dialect of the txʷəlšucid language within the Suquamish tribal community. txʷəl ʔiɫlaq ɫuʔaciɫtalbixʷ. For the future generations to come, or literally: the people coming from behind.” This is an important concept to illustrate with the program logo, because it differs so much from the English world. In Lushootseed, the future generations are coming from behind us. In English, the future is in front of us. The Lushootseed perspective puts more responsibility on the people in the present to consider what they are leaving behind for the next people to access. It shifts the focus from individual goals to collective responsibility to maintain the connection between Suquamish people and Suquamish language.

Our previous logo carried us far, but it was time for a change in our methodology and focus on development. We must remember that everything we do is for future generations, and this is represented in the new logo.

The logo design was developed in consultation between the Language Program and Suquamish Tribal Member and artist, Diana Riggins. Along with clearly capturing the urgency of language revitalization, it was important to create a logo that could easily be recognized and applied to a wide range of uses – from business cards, to posters, to digital platforms, and more.

Encircling the new design is a fishnet pattern, representing the cultural and practical traditions tied to the water and the various ways the Suquamish people are reconnecting to their language. Lushootseed Revitalizationist Shayna Bagley has strategically provided Lushootseed lessons on the beach, on the water, and during clam bakes on The Slab to strengthen this connection.

Inside the logo’s border is the traditional shape of an ʔəʔutx̌s ( sea going canoe), reinforcing a recognizable Suquamish presence. The paddlers are shown with their paddles raised, a symbol of respect and unity, and communicates the collective commitment required to carry the language forward.

Serving as the anchor of the design is an Elder speaking the language. The language itself is depicted as flowing swirls moving from the Elder to the generations of youth behind her. This design element represents the important role of language teachers such as Brandy Boure, Calina Lawrence, and Joey Holmes. Brandy is a Lushootseed teacher at Chief Kitsap Academy and breathes life into the language with tribal youth. Calina brings Lushootseed into all aspects of her life with her family, friends, and community.  Joey speaks Lushootseed with his wife Denita Holmes and their children. They are one of very few tribal households where Lushootseed is used by both parents in varying capacities.

I am proud of how intentional we were with the design of the new logo. Our Language Program has a lot more work to do, and this logo will help carry us there and help remind us that language revitalization is not a single moment, but an ongoing passage from one generation to the next.

Summer Lushootseed Protocol Classes

DATES: Tuesdays from June 23 – July 21 (five weeks)

TIMES: TBD

WHERE: Classes will be offered in person at ʔiišədalʔtxʷ Family and Friends Center and online via Zoom.

WHAT: Each class will teach the same protocols. Come to as many as you need to feel confident speaking on Canoe Journey and other tribal gatherings this summer! Classes will include protocol language for:

  • Personal Introductions
  • Asking Permission to Come Ashore
  • Asking Permission to Leave
  • Giving Permission to Come Ashore
  • Giving Permission to Leave
  • Simple Prayer
  • Introducing a Song

 

Additional class details will be shared in the Weekly Update. 

True Tales of the Suquamish Sasquatch

/in
Read more

Beings of the Forest

/in

Mysterious woodland creatures
long part of Suquamish culture

For many Suquamish people, stories about Sasquatch are not modern myths or campfire tales. They are connected to a deeper understanding of the world and the unseen forces within it.

Sasquatch is more than a creature of legend — it holds spiritual significance and ties directly into long-standing traditions about beings that share the land.

Denita and Joey Holmes created these Basket Ogress and Sasquatch costumes for Halloween in 2023.

Kate Ahvakana, the Suquamish Tribe’s Cultural Resources Director, grew up hearing stories about Sasquatch and other culturally connected creatures of the forest.

“Sasquatch is similar to other beings we talk about, like the Stick Indians,” Ahvakana explains. “They aren’t necessarily good or bad — they just are. They live in the woods and have their own way of being. You have to be careful with them because they don’t think like us.”

The Stick Indians are part of Suquamish oral history. These trickster spirits are said to lure people into the woods, leading them astray. Although they are not malicious, their actions can be dangerous. Ahvakana explains that whistling at night can attract their attention — and potentially the attention of other beings, including Sasquatch. “It’s like you’re inviting them into your space, and that’s not something you want to do.”

Another creature of the woods that has long been used to teach lessons to children is the Basket Ogress, a cautionary tale that has been passed down through generations.

“The Basket Ogress is like a boogeyman story,” Ahvakana says.

“She comes after children who are unclean or unkind. The story is meant to teach kids to be mindful of their actions.”
In the tale, the Basket Ogress captures disobedient children, placing them in her basket and carrying them away. While the story has variations across different Coast Salish cultures, it is always used as a way to remind young people to behave properly and respect the world around them.

The Suquamish people have long understood that the forest holds mysteries, and it’s important to respect them. For generations, stories of Sasquatch and other spirits have taught young people to be mindful of their actions, especially when they are in the woods.

Ahvakana explains that these beings are often encountered by those who are particularly sensitive to the spiritual world or spend long periods of time in the woods. “Hunters, fishers, and people who live closely with the land are more likely to experience these things,” she says. “It’s not something everyone sees, but it’s something many of us feel.”
By Jon Anderson
Suquamish News Staff Writer

 

New Lushootseed Signs Welcome Students at CKA

/in , , ,

As students begin classes at Chief Kitsap Academy Sept. 2, they will be welcomed by a new engraved wood sign at the entrance of the campus that reads haʔł sləx̌il, or “Good day” in Lushootseed.
Created by woodworker David Kotz and incorporating the Coast Salish-style black and red CKA Bear, the word huy’ – or “Until we meet again” – is etched on the opposite side, so students will close out their day at school with Lushootseed as well.
The greeting is just one of more than 50 signs big and small installed across the CKA campus just before school kicked off, part of a broader effort to build a Lushootseed “speech community” at the school.
“This is just the beginning,” said Cassy George, the Suquamish Tribe’s Lushootseed Language Program Coordinator as she helped managed installations in late August. “It feels really good to see the signs going up. It’s a good beginning.”

A speech community on campus
The project grew from a Dual Language grant that worked in collaboration with the Language Department, CKA and Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Education. George worked closely with CKA Lushootseed teacher Brandy Boure to decide how to use the funds.

Language Program Coordinator Cassy George, lower right, works with CKA staff, along with design and installation crew, to place new signage at the school..

“We asked, how do we create a speech community at the school? We have to create supports for people to speak when they’re together. Where are they together? The Commons, the cafeteria, the carving shed — those became priorities.”
Together, they envisioned signage as a daily reminder that the language belongs in every corner of school life.
Indeed, classrooms, bathrooms, and other high-traffic areas also got their own Lushootseed placards as well.

Positive affirmations and traditional foods
For cook Skylene George, the cafeteria was the right place to highlight positive affirmations and traditional foods. “She wanted the kids to feel happy here,” George explained. “So there’s signs that says things like ‘Extend good thoughts,’ ‘We care about you,’ ‘You are healthy,’ ‘Be kind to others.’ ”
On another wall in the cafeteria, a new Lushootseed seasonal foods wheel will replace the English-only version that has hung there for years. The wheel names clams, salmon, berries, and other staples of the Suquamish diet across the four seasons. “It connects what we eat to the times of year. It’s part of how we’ve always understood the world,” said George.

Carvings, graphics, and teamwork
Other spaces include the carving shed, where teacher Bearon Old Coyote asked for signs with phrases to encourage safety and good energy in the work. The signs themselves blend artistry and digital design.
Graphic designer Albert Treskin created layouts for each piece, working with Sound Reprographics. “Albert has been there at every step,” George said. “He’s been amazing.”
Installation has been another collaboration. Facilities staff, including Jon Morsette and Junior Santos, provided insight on placement and helped mount the signs. “Their knowledge of the campus made all the difference,” George said. “It really took a whole team to get this done.”

Looking ahead
Initially the state grant was fo

r $39,000 but in the second year was reduced to $22,000 with a tightening of the budget. That means some areas like the basketball court will have to wait. George hopes to apply for more funding to add electronic signage in the future.
For now, she sees the installation as a turning point. “It’s powerful for our kids to see Lushootseed every day,” she said. “These signs remind us the language is alive — in our food, our seasons, our places, and in how we greet one another.”
By Jon Anderson
Suquamish News Staff Writer

Reflections on Election 2024: We will defend our culture and our values

/in , ,

Suquamish Tribal Council, from left to right, is Council Member Luther “Jay” Mills, Jr, Council Member Azure Boure, Vice Chair Josh Bagley, Chairman Leonard Forsman, Secretary Irene Carper, Council Member Lorilee Morsette, and Treasurer Denita Holmes.

 

By Suquamish Tribal Council

The Suquamish Tribe, like other first peoples of this continent, has experienced disruption since first contact with Europeans. We’ve survived disease, attempts to assimilate us by erasing our culture, and efforts to terminate us and attack our right to exist as a self-governing sovereign nation. But our ancestors were strong, and for generations we adapted and survived by relying on our culture, families, and our unity as a tribe.

Just as our past generations demonstrated, we will endure as a nation regardless of who holds federal office.

We will fiercely defend our access to health care, education, a strong economy, ecosystem health, and our right to self-governance. We will reject discrimination and racism. Our values, along with the enduring guarantees contained in our treaties and in the Constitution of the United States, form a strong foundation for the years and decades to come.

Here in Washington state, we have built strong collaborations with state leaders. The Centennial Accord created a protocol for frank and respectful government-to-government consultations, and we have made significant progress, especially in recent years with the leadership of Gov. Jay Inslee. We look forward to continuing this progress with Governor-elect Bob Ferguson and Attorney General-elect Nick Brown.  With the election of the state’s new Commissioner of Public Lands, Dave Upthegrove, we anticipate continuing to cooperate on protecting forests, streams, marine ecosystems, and other treaty-protected resources here in Washington state.

We are delighted that state Senator Emily Randall will represent our district in the U.S. Congress. Her skillful bipartisan leadership at the state Legislature will be much needed in today’s polarized climate.

A bright spot in this election is the defeat of Initiative 2117, which means the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) will remain in force. This Act is strengthening our state’s economy while meeting ambitious climate goals. In Indian country, the CCA is funding restoration of fish and marine habitats, efficient and affordable heating and cooling systems in tribal homes, solar installations, and electrification of transportation.

In the next four years, we expect federal support for climate action to erode in the new administration, but here in Washington state, we can continue moving ahead, demonstrating to the nation that prosperity and responsible climate action go hand in hand.

In other respects, too, Washington state has become a model for positive tribal-state relations, and the outcome of this collaboration has benefited all state residents. Achieving this was not easy. But the enduring relationships we built with state and local officials will serve us all well during the years to come and could serve as a model for other states and for the nation as a whole.

We are grateful to President Biden who remained a true friend to Indian Country through his appointments at the Department of Interior and BIA, his investments in tribal governments and economies, and his protection of sacred sites. And we applaud Vice President Harris’ courageous run for the presidency. Their leadership and vision will not soon be forgotten.

We hope to have a positive relationship with the incoming president, and to continue the progress made under various administrations to fully recognize Indian people as the first Americans. Our differences aren’t as great as some people think. One of the Supreme Court’s most brilliant leaders on Indian law, Justice Neil Gorsuch, for example, was appointed during the first term of President-elect Trump. We have friends and supporters in both political parties, and we will continue building on the positive relationships we have developed over the years.

Regardless of who holds the highest offices in the land, this is clear: We will exercise the legal and cultural and spiritual rights that were passed down by our ancestors, and we will fiercely defend them for future generations.