Governor's Heritage Award - Larry George

Larry A. George of Toppenish, Washington on the Yakama Indian Reservation, was an artist, storyteller, muralist, and lecturer. Over thirty years he labored to bring the wisdom of the Yakama Nation elders’ teachings to a wide audience through audio-visual productions. He narrated a National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities production about Mayan legends and produced numerous film strip productions for Washington coastal tribes, used to teach and encourage Indian youth to maintain their native language, arts, and customs. George put his artistic talents to many other professional uses. He served in the Army as a technical illustrator, worked in an advertising agency in Yakima, was employed as a cultural specialist and art instructor at Granger School District, lectured at Central and Eastern Washington Universities, and served on the Washington Commission for the Humanities. Larry A. George passed away in 1996.