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West Seattle market highlights local Native artists

The weekend-long event is also a chance to reconnect with old friends, after a difficult few years dealing with the pandemic.

SEATTLE — As part of "Small Business Saturday," hundreds flocked to West Seattle to support local Native-owned businesses and artists. It's all part of this year's "Native Art Market."

More than 20 vendors made their way to the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center on Saturday to showcase their love for their culture.

"We are alive, and we are thriving, from back from the ancestors who are coming out more and more and being vocal, singing our songs and doing our dances and performing," said Carla Crawford, the co-owners of Haida Ladies Crafts, based out of Bonney Lake.

This marks more than a decade of this annual "Native Art Market," which focuses on supporting Native-owned businesses and artists from Washington and throughout the country.

"To show our work, to show our art style, and our culture to people that may never come into contact with that," said Terrance Guardipee, a Blackfeet Ledger artist and painter living in Seattle.

The weekend-long event is also a chance to reconnect with old friends, after a difficult few years dealing with the pandemic.

"Sharing my art with all my friends that are here which I've known for many, many years and doing this show for many, many years it's like coming home and seeing everybody again, so very good feeling," said Guardipee.

Native vendors like Guardipee and Crawford, hope people will continue to support the native community, not just during events like this, but year-round. "Ask them, where they're from, how they got started, the history of themselves, you always learn something new every day," said Crawford.

The Native Art Market continues on Sunday, Nov. 27th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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