Elizabeth Egan

Medium: Beading, Jewelry Making

Elizabeth Egan grew up in southern Minnesota with her brother John and their parents Tom and Betty Egan. Her maternal grandparents are Ted and Opal Kittleson and her paternal grandparents were Hilary and Shirley Egan. She is descended from people of northern hemisphere ancestry including Tlingit, Irish, British, Norwegian, and Kodiak Island Alutiiq.

Creativity, music, play, learning, and extended family filled Elizabeth’s childhood. She expresses herself in many forms, learning and practicing writing, drawing, painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor), basket weaving, beading, song, dance, and movement. Elizabeth is also a Lingít (Tlingit) language learner and enjoys gardening and the process of making plant medicine. She likes being on the land, building understanding with plant communities, and gathering, growing, processing and sharing medicines. She has worked with tribal governments as a grant writer and planner for over 15 years.

Elizabeth said, “Gardening, building healthy soil, and planting and tending fruiting trees and shrubs on the Coast Salish land (Squaxin Island Tribe) I live on with my partner are some ways we are slowly building a legacy that may outlive us. In the meantime, we hope these efforts can be a supportive way to help our community thrive during the changing world we continue to face. May we all be of good courage!”

“I am so grateful to be alive. Using and honing our skills and talents to the best of our abilities and capacities is one way that we can honor this precious gift of life, helping ourselves and each other to live well on earth before we join the ancestors.”