Peg Deam, a Suquamish artist and tradition bearer, is working with Kyles Gemmell of Poulsbo in Bellingham on Suquamish weaving, music and dance traditions as part of an apprentice program.

The holistic project includes making regalia and basketry, learning traditional dyeing methods, and learning and teaching Suquamish songs and dances to pass on to future generations.

The Center for Washington Cultural Traditions recently announced 18 new apprenticeship pairs for the 2024-25 Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program. The program supports the transference of knowledge and skill from a master artist to an apprentice, preserving the traditional arts, crafts, and skills that make up the cultural fabric of Washington state.

The artists range from preserving Indian classical dances to Mississippi guitar-picking styles. The mentoring will be for at least 100 hours of one-on-one time together. In its seventh year, there were a record 50 applicants; over 130 people have participated in the program.

“Usually the work of these artists is done in private spaces—like kitchens, workshops and back porches,” said Thomas Grant Richardson, director of the center. The program “opens the door for us all to see the work and lives of these extraordinary artists.”

A center news release says: Practitioners often lack the resources to pass on their skills, and as a result, many traditions are at risk of being lost. In addition to preserving skills and generating income for the practitioners, the program also helps apprentices develop important leadership skills that will help them advocate for their communities.

Many who have been part of the program create businesses centered on their traditional products or better establish themselves as teaching artists or paid performers. They connect with their past and build bridges to other communities in the present.