It’s a yearly affair that we’ve attended a few times in the past, always having a great time and coming home with some good bargains. I’m always looking for Trade Beads, of course.

Many people attending represent historical organizations, re-enactment groups or are just generally interested in history. We saw and met members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Daughters of the Confederacy. The NRA was represented, as were Blacksmiths from Fort Nisqually, the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association. There were lots of Re-enactment groups; Army and Navy Units from the Union and the Confederacy, Revolutionary War Units; American, British and Scottish. Various Indian Tribes from all across the country were represented also.

A couple of people also represented the Russian settlements on the Northwest Coast of North America. There were Buckskinners, Trappers, Gunsmiths, Bowmakers, Tailors and clothing makers, Hatters, Moccasin makers, and Furriers. We saw Primitive Camping Gear Traders, box makers, bucket makers, Tomahawk makers, knife makers, gun part sellers, leather sellers, spinners, book sellers, plenty of antiques and Bead Traders. I came home with a little bag of trade beads that I considered a bargain. My “find” was some beautiful old mandrel wound, opaque, medium size, yellow “Padre” Trade beads.

There were lots of antique fabrics used in costumes and for sale; linen, linsey-woolsey, wool, gingham, calico, furs, leathers and canvas. The highlight of the day for me was that more than half of everyone attending came in authentic costumes from the 1750’s to the 1880’s.

My friend, Kathy Foy, owner of MacRae’s American Indian Bookstore in Enumclaw, WA had a fabulous booth full of great books. Kathy commented to me that she thought the whole affair was “like a living museum”. Kathy’s father, Ken MacRae, collected a fantastic assortment of character dolls made by Shona-Hah Lalooska in the 80’s and possibly earlier. These Native American Indian character dolls were patterned after real people, people she knew or from pictures she found in books. Kathy brought some of these dolls. They have incredible faces full of expression and authentic costuming. Very much a fun opportunity to see these amazing works of art!

(Handcarved Hummingbird Bracelet by Owen Walker)

Hummingbirds are messengers between the spirit world and the physical world. When we see and hear these beautiful little creatures, we can feel joy in our souls and rejoice with them to the pure essence of life. These little masters of flight eat tiny bugs and flower nectar. What a sweet dinner they have. When we see Hummingbird, it reminds us to savor the sweetness in our own lives. We had the privilege of watching a hummingbird build a nest and raise three young ones just three feet from our studio window. Not only did we feel incredibly blessed to have her as part of our family, but we learned a great deal about hummingbird’s diet and life cycle.

One of the interesting aspects of watching this Hummingbird mother was her nest building techniques. It was early spring and we hadn’t washed the salt spray and spider nests from the window casings yet. This little female Hummingbird flew from window to window gathering these sticky spider nests and collected lichen from the fence posts and Alder trees. Then combining this all together created the most beautiful little nest the size of a 50 cent piece on the top of a branch in the Cedar tree right out side our Studio window. We were so amazed to watch her lay her 3 tiny little eggs and sit on them until they hatched 2 weeks later.

(Handcarved Little Hummingbird Bracelet by Owen Walker)

Another fun thing to watch was the baby’s escape from the nest. They don’t stand on the edge and flap their wings continually and build up strength and bravery as the young Eagles do. One day when they’re all too fat and big to fit in the nest they just get up on the edge and jump off! They flap like mad and almost touch the ground and bob up and down in altitude until they make it back up to the branches around the nest. They don’t really go back to the nest because at this point they don’t fit. Mom rushes around the gardens and trees collecting tiny bugs and nectar and feeding them all as fast as she can while they tweet madly about their hunger and traumatic experience!

(Handcarved Hummingbird Earrings by Owen Walker)

They hung around the garden for a few weeks getting bigger and stronger on nectar and bugs until they flew off to their destiny. We were so amazed to actually watch the process first hand and to see just how many bugs a tiny hummingbird will eat, especially mosquitoes and gnats. We saw them return the next year to the spot where we had a feeder hung that year of their birth. We hurried up and hung up the feeder, amazed at their memory, to keep them around in hopes of that nesting happening again but it never did. What a joy that was to experience!

(Little Hummingbird Earrings and Pendant)

Decorated boxes were very important items, but no matter how intricate or decorated the box, it can never be as important as the supplies it contains – often food or family/clan regalia. The food storage would mean physical survival of course, but the regalia meant you were connected to people who loved you and whom you wanted in your life and defined who you are, thus emotional survival.

The Stonington Gallery in Seattle, WA had a show with the theme “Carved Boxes” and as metal smiths we came at it from that direction. My passion for Lost Wax Cast Sculptural Rings made my dreams of carved boxes just jump with ideas.

The Box Ring, # 307, is a substantial sculptural carving; 9mm high, 18mm wide, very 3-D, tapering to 5mm squared shank.
Hollowed underside and squared shank create a well-balanced, comfortable ring.
Available in sizes 6 to 15.

Hand-cast lost wax, Sterling Silver Bentwood Box ring by Janet Walker.

Owen has a never to be forgotten wonderful memory of the singing wolves from his youth in Alaska. A song that is indelibly printed on the soul and a sound like no other! Such spirit and loyalty as the Wolf is a good totem to wear and to surround one’s self. These little sterling creatures have a gorgeous tail to flash and whip about in a manner only a cheerful wolf could do. Wolves being the epitome of the wild spirit could also lend the wearer a bit of potential excitement to a day. Why not?!

We called this lovely little Wolf the Timber Wolf just to differentiate him from the other Wolf bracelets that we do. Every thing that lives on the North West Coast lives in the timber or in the water as there just isn’t any other place. When Owen lived in the far north he loved to sing with the wolves and to the wolves. When it gets real cold, -40 and lower, it gets so quiet you would think you could hear a dropped coin for miles, those are the nights the wolves would sing across the Matanuska and up the Knik valley. Owen loved to hike out in the river flats and would sing back and forth until his voice gave out or they decided he wasn’t that good of a singer and would stop.
These are Handcarved Wolf Earrings by Owen Walker.

This Alpha Wolf is laying curled up with his chin on his tail, but very much awake and watchful.

Wolves are labeled as friendly, social, and highly intelligent with a strong and loyal sense of family. Rituals are important to wolves, and those who have a Wolf Totem are also keen on traditions in their lives. Traditions can lovingly teach us the path to health, happiness and true freedom of spirit.

This is a big and sculptural ring, very 3 dimentional, 20mm high, 15mm wide tapering to a 6 mm wide squared shank. Hollowed underside and squared shank create a well-balanced, comfortable ring. Available in sizes 6 to 15.

These are cast Sterling Wolf earrings.

Both items are available for secure purchase on our Osprey Line page.

The Eagle is prominent in many stories all over the Northwest and is generally a benefactor to mankind. This Eagle is dancing to summon her magic powers, which she used to save the young eagles of her village from a sea monster, Giant Clam.

One day long ago, as the chief’s nephew was wading in the water at low tide, his feet were caught by the Giant Monster Clam, who began to swallow him. An Eagle flew down and grasped him by the shoulders to pull him up but began to be pulled under also. The tide was swiftly rising. In answer to their cries, more and more eagles flew down and grabbed hold of the trapped man, to no avail as they were all being pulled down by the monster clam. Finally the Matriarch of the Eagles heard their cries for help and used her magic power dance to overcome the monster, and pulled all the eagles and their human friend, who became the ancestor of the Eagle Clan, to safety.

What is a Potlatch? The lavish celebration of the “Potlatch” was a commemoration of an important event in the lives of Northwest Coast Indians. Whether the occasion was a birth, death, marriage, inheritance, the giving of property, a name, or privilege, the host demonstrated his wealth by presenting gifts to each person who was then an official witness. Common among such gifts would be decorative art pieces, wood and stone carvings, ornate basketry, household goods, and jewelry of copper, iron, silver and gold.

We created the Potlatch Collection because of our own northwest roots, and our love of the country, climate and the culture. Jewelry remains the perfect way to celebrate today’s special events, and our original pieces are true to traditions of Northwest Coast Indian myth and legend.


The Potlatch Collection includes 10 different designs of earrings and pendants that retail for $40.00 each; Bear, Beaver, Eagle, Frog, Hummingbird, Orca, Raven, Salmon, Whale & Wolf. The Sterling Pendants come with an 18 in. Sterling chain and the Earrings have Sterling Shepherd hook earwires.

20” x 12” w/ swivel base
(Retail shops: contact us for information about the complete set with countertop display)