Upcycled Stockings

Jaime Martin (Snoqualmie) is the Executive Director of Governmental Affairs & Special projects for the Snoqualmie Tribe where she works on land reclamation, Tribal rights, and other efforts to protect and preserve Tribal resources. They also lead the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement which shares Tribal perspectives and information for how individuals can respectfully recreate, live, and work on the Tribe's ancestral lands. Jaime is a double alumna of the University of Washington and enjoys practices her tribal rights in gathering traditional foods and medicines on Snoqualmie Ancestral Lands with her family.

McKenna Sweet Dorman (Snoqualmie) has been an active participant in her tribe her entire life, where she has been surrounded by spiritual teachers, elders, and tribal leaders who shared teachings, culture, and language. In her previous work and personal life, McKenna has worked on the protection of cultural resources, preservation of sacred sites including Snoqualmie Falls, land reclamation, documenting Snoqualmie culture and history with tribal elders, and Lushootseed language revitalization.

My name is Bryan Waytula, a third-generation artist, and a Cherokee Nation citizen. I belong to the Wolf Clan. Being the son and grandson of two Cherokee National Treasures in Basketry, it is important to me to continue to bring generations together through Indigenous art and practices. The past, present, and future of our Indigenous cultures that have survived have done so thanks to the knowledge passed on and protected by our elders, and we must honor them for that. Although I’m no longer an art teacher, I still educate others through my work as a visual storyteller. My hope is that the stories I share in my work will be enjoyed by and shared with generations to come.

Ahsaki LaFrance-Chachere (Navajo and African American) is the Founder/CEO of Ah-Shi Beauty, the first Native American owned and operated luxury skincare and cosmetics brand in the United States. Through Ah-Shi Beauty, Ahsaki is revolutionizing the beauty industry, creating space for products representing a wide range of skin tones and ensuring true representation for the market. She works to ensure a broad and diverse representation of Indigenous people, as well as empower her clientele to love their skin.

I'm Louie Gong (Nooksack) and I'm the founder of Eighth Generation. I'm a self-taught artist who was raised by my grandparents in the Nooksack tribal community in northwest Washington. I got my start by painting cultural art on shoes, but realized that creating one-of-a-kind pieces did not provide a sustainable pathway to success, so I began applying my artwork to accessibly-priced products. My unique style merges traditional Coast Salish art with influences from my mixed heritage and urban environment to create work that resonates widely across communities and cultures.

My name is Michelle Lowden, and I am an Acoma Pueblo artist living and working in Pueblo of Acoma (known in my Keres language as Aa’ku) in New Mexico. I draw my inspiration from my family's history of illustrious potters to create the beautiful hand-painted Pueblo jewelry I am known for. The owner and operator of Milo Creations, you can see how my careful eye and attention to detail show in the intricate line work and Southwest geometric designs of my work. Fun fact: I became Eighth Generation's first Inspired Natives™ Project Collaborator in 2014!

SiSeeNaxAlt, whose English name is Gail White Eagle, is from the Muckleshoot & Chehalis Tribes, and has hereditary lines to many others. While she is currently employed by the Muckleshoot Tribe as a Lead Culture Teacher, sharing her knowledge with youth, adults & elders, SiSeeNaxAlt has been weaving for 25 years.

Jamie Okuma (Luiseño and Shoshone-Bannock) is an award-winning artist and fashion designer. She specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces that are hand-executed exclusively by the artist herself in all details of process. Okuma has shown work internationally and has pieces in the permanent collections of The Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, The Denver Art Museum and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.