Samuel Sheakley, Tlingit Jeweler

Samuel P. Sheakley Sr. is a Tlingit & Haida Tribal Citizen of the Tlingit Nation. He was born in Ketchikan, AK and raised in Craig, AK. He is a member of the Chookaneidi Clan, from the Cedar House of Xuna Kaawu (Hoonah, AK) Raised in the Culture; Traditional Tlingit Values and language were learned through song and dance participating in various Alaska Native dance groups such as The Craig Island Dancers of Prince of Whales and Hoonah’s Gaaxw Aayi and Mt. Fairweather. Samuel recognizes the importance of carrying on the knowledge that has been passed down from his elders and ancestors. Sheakley has taken on numerous carving apprenticeships and classes over the years with numerous Masters of the NW Coast Art with goals to reawaken the cultural activity of chasing/repousse using the ancient visual language of the Tlingit aka Northwest Coast Formline Designs. He participated in the Native Arts and Cultures Foundations Mentorship Initiative Program as an apprentice in 2017-'18 with Mentor Nicholas Galanin. He was awarded Best of Metal in Sealaska's Juried Art Show at Celebration 2018; he was an apprentice on a 42' totem project which was raised in June of 2018 to commemorate the burning of a Tlingit Village in the 1960's in Douglas, AK. Today Samuel is still practicing the art of wood carving and formline design, engraving and chasing/repousse preserving the culture for the future leaders as a part time teacher at the local high schools and middle school in Juneau, AK and a full time Freelance Alaska Native Arts Jeweler.