Archives West Finding Aid

Bruce Miller (1944-2005) was a spiritual leader of the Skokomish Nation, whose teaching nourished a Salish renaissance of art and culture in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He was appointed the Skokomish Nation's cultural and educational director in 1971 and earned stature for his traditional knowledge, including a repertoire of more than 120 Skokomish tribal stories, some of which take days to tell. In 1974, he founded the Twana Dance Group, which has performed for thousands of people throughout the Northwest. Mr. Miller helped bring back several ceremonies that were once banned by U.S. government agents and missionaries. He also compiled and illustrated 12 books based on his family's stories. He was honored with a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2004. Vi Hilbert (1918-2008) was a member and noted elder of the Upper Skagit tribe. Her first language was Lushootseed, a Coast Salish language found in the Puget Sound region of western Washington state. During her long and productive life, Vi Hilbert played a major role in the revitalization of the language and culture of the First People of the Pacific Northwest. She became known as a teacher, storyteller, publisher, and public speaker. For over 40 years she built and maintained a research archive of cultural materials. Working with other scholars, she developed and published teaching materials and volumes of stories through Lushootseed Research, an organization which she founded. Her commitment to preserving Lushootseed language and literature is largely responsible for the renaissance of interest in Lushootseed culture and the growth of tribal language programs all over western Washington.