SERIES | Native Artistry’s Impact, Locally and Beyond

by Luna Reyna

As the seasons begin to change and we get closer to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day on Oct. 14, we decided to share some of the richness of the diverse range of local Native artistry. The Pacific Northwest has an abundance of inspiring Native creatives.

There are household names like Eighth Generation or Chad Charlie.

Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand started by Louie Gong, a Nooksack artist, activist, and educator, which is now owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. It grew to become the household name it is through the tagline “Inspired Natives, not ‘Native-Inspired.’” It’s the first Native-owned company to produce wool blankets, which have even made it into film. You can see the beautiful, custom Eighth Generation blankets in the Oscar-nominated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Originally from the Ahousaht First Nation on Vancouver Island but living in Seattle for much of his life, Chad Charlie is a filmmaker, writer, actor, and comedian who most recently wrote and acted in the award-winning television show Reservation Dogs. Reservation Dogs sparked conversations about suicide prevention and Native traditions, along with bringing accurate and uplifting Native representation to television.

And there are many other impactful Native artists, musicians, podcasters, and radio stations in our region.

Ka’ila Farrell-Smith is a contemporary Klamath Modoc visual artist, writer and activist based in Modoc Point, Oregon. Her artwork is “rooted in Indigenous aesthetics and abstract formalism” exploring the “space in between the Indigenous and western paradigms.” Her work has honored the experience and survival of Indigenous children who were taken from their families and forced to attend Indian boarding schools. She has also utilized her art platform to protest the fracked gas pipeline threat by the Canadian fracked gas corporation, Pembina, that threatens ancestral homelands and waterways in Southern Oregon.

Vocalist and activist Calina Lawrence, a citizen of the Suquamish Tribe, was first introduced to music through traditional Suquamish songs. Her voice meets at the crossroads of art and activism. Calina recently penned a song called “Wounded Child,” inspired by the people of Gaza and Palestinians all around the world. She is a member of the Water Warrior Society, a group of Indigenous activists that has helped organize over 100 actions since 2016. The group made national news when it launched a traditional Nisqually canoe into the Port of Tacoma to block a U.S. military cargo ship believed to be loaded with weapons headed for Israel.

Artistry is a form of storytelling, and although Indigenous customs, traditions, and nation identities are complex and unique, the art of storytelling is one thing we all share. As we get closer to Indigenous People’s Day, we hope you get inspired to be the first, like Louie Gong and Eighth Generation, to make an impact across Native country like Chad Charlie, and to take action like Ka’ila Farrell-Smith and Calina Lawrence. 

There are so many empowering Native artists, podcasts, radio stations, DJs, and more in the PNW, so look outside what your algorithm might feed you and get into community to learn more about the Native creatives near you.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

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