Sophie George
 Sophie George on horseback at an all-Indian rodeo in White Swan, Washington, about 1960. She received many prizes as a dancer. Wasco, Cowlitz, and Wenatchapum Beadworker, basket weaver, and maker of ceremonial objects "The only way that things will always be is if you keep it the way you were taught. My grandmother always stressed that." Sophie George grew up near the ancient Wasco fishing grounds of Celilo Falls along the Columbia River. She spent much of her childhood with her mother and grandmother learning the ways of her people. She learned to dig roots, prepare fish and game, and make traditional items such as dance outfits, moccasins, and bags. Today, George’s outstanding beadwork and basketry receive local and national recognition. She teaches special workshops and makes presentations on traditional weaving and beading techniques. George lives in Gresham, Oregon with her family. In 1998, she was awarded a National Heritage Award Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts for her beadwork. "An elder told me, 'You have someone else’s hands,’ because my bags look like the old ones. I try to put my feet in my ancestors’ shoes. I want to see through their eyes."
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