The basketry I practice is a tradition of the main tribes.

[Weaving sounds] When I change traditional to contemporary, it's just another moment in time for that art form.

♫ Coming back to fiber and working with my hands, questions started to make their way into the work.

Questions about my lineage.

♫ To me, these plastics are like orphans.

I want to give them a place where they can be appreciated and they can look beautiful and alive.

We are Suquamish.

Paddlers: We are Suquamish.

Qal̕qaləx̌ič.

Paddlers: Qal̕qaləx̌ič!

In Suquamish, one western old growth cedar tree made two canoes.

On one of the days our young people were carving it, a pod of killer whales came by right at the end of the boat ramp.

So we named  the canoe qal̕qaləx̌ič in our language, killer whales.