Governor's Heritage AwardsEstablished in 1989, the Governor’s Heritage Awards honor outstanding individuals and organizations whose dedication to preserving and promoting traditions and cultural heritage are worthy of state recognition. A list of past Governor's Arts Awards winners is available.
2007 Elaine Grinnell - S'Klallam elder, and storyteller
Pete Peterson, Sr. - Skokomish artist and cultural treasure
Skye K. Richendrfer - Bagpiper and Director Celtic Arts Foundation
2005 Virginia Beavert - Yakama Nation elder and teacher of sacred songs and languages Wilho Saari - Finnish American musician and master of the kantele Wapato Indian Club - Native American heritage club and dance troupe
2002-2004 No awards presented
2001 Salvador Baldovinos - Mexican American musician Tatjana Krynytzky - Ukrainian traditional artist Hazel Pete - Chehalis basket weaver
2000 Ralph Bennett - Haida woodcarver Mariachi Huenachi - High School Mariachi band Irene Martin - Fisher scholar and historian
1999 Gloria Napulani Fujii - Polynesian cultural leader Michael Vlahovich - Yugoslavia boat builder Bin-Liang Wang - Beijing opera producer
1998 Skaidrite Abolins - Latvian embroiderer Ed Carriere - Suquamish carver Trinidad Marquez - Mexican-American violinist
1997 Carlton Appelo - Finish-American historian Sara Quaempts - Yakama traditional artist Maria Seo - Korean-American musician Wing Luke Museum - Asian/Pacific Museum, Museum Director Ron Chew
1996 Pauline Hillaire - Lummi teacher & historian Robert Sherwood - Wellpinit storyteller & teacher Maria Petrish - Director, Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble and Ruze Dalmatinke Orchestra, Ethnic music & dance
1995 Elaine Timentwa Emerson - Colville basket weaver Larry A. George - Artist & storyteller Otto Oja - Logging historian
1994 Palmer Johnson - African-American jazz pianist Tazue Kiyono Sasaki - Buyo dance teacher Emilija Tutlys - Lithuanian weaver
1993 Santiago Almeida - Conjunto musician Nettie Jackson - Klickitat master basketmaker Lillian Pullen - Quileute tradition bearer
1992 Erasmo Gamboa - Mexican-American historian Bruce (Subiyay) Miller - Skokomish ceremonial leader
1991 Fred Cordova - Filipino-American historian Joseph Locati - Italian-American historian Patrinell Wright - African-American choral director
1990 Cecilia Svinth Carpenter - Nisqually historian Ralph Hayes - African-American historian Selma Muller - German-American historian
1989 Marie Bakke Bremner - Norwegian quilter & rosemaler David Forlines - Quileute tradition bearer Marija Franulovich - Croatian tradition bearer Andrew George - Yakama storyteller & teacher Woodrow Gifford - Logger poet Nhia Yia Heu - Hmong master basketmaker Vi Hilbert - Upper Skagit Tribal historian Lucy Liu - Chinese painter, calligrapher Esther Mumford - African-American historian Ivan Novikoff - Russian-American dancer Gordon Ekvall Tracie - Swedish dancer & folklorist
| |