You are invited to PNB’s The Sleeping Beauty Community Day!

Git Hoan Dancers (Tsimshian performance group)

The Git Hoan Dancers (People of the Salmon) represent a culture of Alaskan Native people, the Tsimshian Tribe from Metlakatla, Alaska. David Boxley, nationally renowned carver and culture bearer formed the Git Hoan Dancers in his efforts to revive, practice, and share the Tsimshian way of life that was once forbidden

The Git Hoan Dancers were formed to showcase the magnificence of Tsimshian art, resurrect the practice of the culture, and educate the world that Native culture is diverse and a living art and culture. The Git Hoan performance is through song and dance sharing the legends while entertaining and educating.

The performance is filled with stunning, hand-carved masks, authentic skin and wood drums, and colorful hand-made regalia emblazoned with symbols of the culture. Legends are vividly brought to life through song and dance, heightened by the use of mechanical devices that animate the clans and Tsimshian legends from the voices of our ancestors.

The group has a reputation of high energy, enthusiastic, and spirit-filled and has entertained, educated, and thrilled thousands of audiences on the rich “living” culture of our people throughout the world.

Red Eagle Soaring (Native youth storytelling and songs)

Red Eagle Soaring is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Native Youth Theatre. Our mission is to empower Indigenous youth to express themselves with confidence and clarity through traditional and performing arts. Since 1991, Red Eagle Soaring has mentored hundreds of Native youth, staged over 200 productions, and supported youth access to the healing power of cultural traditions which promote social, physical, and intellectual engagement. In bringing together Native youth to learn about the technical aspects and processes of theatre, we build a community of people interested in learning about, sharing, promoting, and supporting Native arts and cultural life ways, through performance. We are committed to teaching our Indigenous youth about the different tribal traditions, histories, and cultures that reflect the diversity of our Native community, in Seattle’s urban multicultural setting. For more information about RES, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or visit their website: www.redeaglesoaring.org.

Sondra Segundo (Haida storytelling)

Sondra Segundo was born and raised in a time when there were still many birth speakers of the Haida language alive. From very young, she grew up hearing traditional Haida songs with her Elders. Now she is passing on this priceless knowledge to the next generations. Sondra is a singer of the Haida language, a cultural educator, and published author/ illustrator of three children’s books. In 2018, she joined tribal band, Khu’éex’ which is based in Seattle and sings in the Tlingit & Haida Languages. Sondra was fortunate to apprentice with a birth speaker of the Masset Haida dialect Jane Kristovich during the last years of Jane’s life. This led Sondra to become the founder of Haida Roots, a non-profit organization that connects local Haida to resources and opens opportunities for sharing their culture and learning Xaad kíl (Haida Language).

Blue Dot Beadwork (Comanche beadwork)

Cynthia Masterson (Comanche), lives and beads in Šilšul Territory, Seattle, Washington. Cynthia owns Blue Dot Beadwork where she sparks creativity with beads at events, retreats, & schools. She shares the beading traditions of her Comanche culture to help people tap into their creative mind and explore their own heritage through beads. Her love of beads fuels her artistry. She combines household objects with beadwork creating assemblages that story tell her experience. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions, and she has received many grants to support her art. Cynthia also launched the Little Bead Library – a small but growing movement of community-curated bead sharing hubs. Expect something special created just for PNB Community Day!

Josiah Concho (Traditional/contemporary pottery and paintings)

Josiah Concho is a multi-medium, Indigenous artist from the Navajo Nation and Pueblo of Acoma. His first experience with art began in high school, when a teacher took an interest in his classwork submissions. Josiah’s work did not only include classwork, but it included drawings. Through encouragement, Josiah was inspired to take an art class. He started with drawing and transitioned into painting. He developed his painting skills by painting on canvases, shoes, wood, and fabric. During his downtime in college, he began learning the process of making traditional Acoma pottery. He learned the challenging task of collecting clay, preparing paints, catching rainwater, and making paint brushes from yucca stems. Originally, Josiah made pottery to financially support himself during school, but he eventually noticed his artwork began opening new avenues for opportunities. Josiah finds it important to continue this cultural art practice and carry it on for future generations.

Moderator: Colleen Echohawk

Colleen Echohawk is a visionary executive leader, entrepreneur, and advocate dedicated to advancing economic equity, generational wealth building, and social justice. An enrolled member of the Kithehaki Band of the Pawnee Nation and a member of the Upper Athabascan people of Mentasta Lake, Echohawk has built a career blending advocacy with innovative leadership.

Colleen is the Principal and Co-Founder of Headwater People Consulting, an organization committed to helping other organizations achieve meaningful, community-centered change. In early 2025, she resigned as CEO of Eighth Generation to devote her energy to launching two new businesses that continue her commitment to Indigenous entrepreneurship and economic mobility. In January 2025 she was appointed Interim Executive Director of the Seattle Indian Services Commission, where she oversees the beginning stages of two capital projects aimed at housing and enhancing services and opportunities for Seattle’s Native community.

As the CEO of Eighth Generation, a business owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe, Echohawk led transformative efforts to expand the company’s influence and support for Indigenous artists. Under her leadership, the company not only increased opportunities for Native artists but also elevated its mission to foster economic independence and celebrate Indigenous culture on a national scale.

Echohawk previously served as the Executive Director of the Chief Seattle Club, where she guided the development of nearly $100 million in new affordable housing projects in Seattle. These efforts provided critical resources for Native people experiencing homelessness and gained national recognition for their innovative approach to housing and wellness.

A recipient of several prestigious awards, Echohawk has been honored with the King County Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service for her dedication to equity and social justice. She has also been named one of Seattle Magazine’s Most Influential People, recognizing her significant contributions to the city’s cultural and social fabric. Additionally, she received the President’s Award: Tribal Ally from the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska for her transformative work in creating housing opportunities for Native people in Seattle.

Owen Oliver

Owen Oliver comes from the people of the Lower Columbia River, Salish Sea, and Southwest Pueblos. He is an enrolled member of the Quinault Indian Nation. In 2021 he published the Indigenous Walking Tour of UW. Currently, Owen is working towards his Master of Fine Arts in Create Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Preston Singletary

Preston Singletary’s art has become synonymous with the relationship between Tlingit culture and fine art. His glass sculptures deal with themes of Tlingit mythology and traditional designs, while also using music to shape his contemporary perspective of Native culture. Singletary started blowing glass at the Glass Eye studios in Seattle in 1982, where he grew up and continues to work and live. Forty years of glass making, creating music, and working together with elders has put him in a position of being a keeper of cultural knowledge, while forging new directions in new materials and concepts of Indigenous arts. Now recognized internationally, Singletary’s works are included in museums across the U.S. and Europe.

Andrea Wilber-Sigo

Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, born in 1975 in Shelton, Washington, is a distinguished artist and member of the Squaxin Island Tribe. As the first known Native woman carver in her family’s lineage, she began her artistic journey at age three, initially focusing on beadwork. Her works include bentwood boxes, masks, and various weaving techniques, deeply rooted in Coast Salish traditions. Mentored by master carvers like Loren White and Susan Point, Andrea has received numerous accolades, including first place at the Heard Museum show in 2006 and the People’s Choice award at the International Salish Wool Weavers Symposium in 2016. Committed to her community, she volunteers extensively and teaches Coast Salish art classes, ensuring the preservation of her cultural heritage and inspiring future generations of artists.