Spruce Root

09/18/2026

This Finalist Friday, we are pleased to introduce Eliasica Timmerman! Eliasica is an Alaskan Haida artist, cultural educator, and founder of an Indigenous arts business: Weav’n.

Weav’n is rooted in nearly 30 years of traditional weaving, cultural teaching, and Native knowledge preservation. Through her business, Eliasica creates original woven works, teaches cultural arts, and builds opportunities to strengthen Indigenous culture through entrepreneurship, education, and authentic Native artistry.

Eliasica shares that she incorporates language throughout her business as a practice of strengthening cultural knowledge.

“I’m in the midst of learning [X̱aat Kíl] and I do my social media with a language focus. I will put some of my artwork in the picture and then explain some cultural knowledge using a ‘word of the day’. I really do this for the educational purposes of everybody.”

Reflecting on her business journey with Weav’n, Eliasica says that moments of uncertainty have pushed her to believe in herself and her work.

“The language aspect has been daunting because I’m afraid that I’m not saying it right. But if I don’t say it, I won’t learn to say it right. I think that just pushing through those uncertainty moments has created opportunities for me to actually get more sure of myself. So, I really encourage our community to just push a little bit through the uncertainty feelings about whether you’re doing something right or not.”

Eliasica also acknowledges that her weaving practice is endowed with the knowledge of a lineage of teachers that have come before her and shaped her art, along with many others’.

“I would like to acknowledge that the knowledge that I am teaching forward comes from Holly Churchill. Holly has taught probably thousands of classes by now. It’s so important that my name stays with Holly’s,” she shares.

Congratulations on being a finalist, Eliasica, and best wishes to you in the Path to Prosperity Business Competition!

09/17/2026

Southeast Artists: $500 travel stipends are now available for this workshop!

To expand the reach of this opportunity beyond Juneau, Sealaska Heritage Institute is offering a $500 travel stipend to participating students traveling from outside Juneau. The stipend will be provided by check on the final day of the workshop to help offset travel expenses.

Register here: https://spruceroot.org/etn/marketing-for-artists-in-juneau-with-sealaska-heritage-institute/

Register

JUNEAU: Sign up for Path to Prosperity: Marketing for Artists with instructor Spruce Root!

Apply by Sunday, Sept. 6 at http://bit.ly/Path-to-Prosperity-2026

09/14/2026

Fall and winter markets are (somehow) just around the corner for our talented and tenacious Southeast artists. As this busy season approaches and creatives plan for the year ahead, we were curious to know what career advice local artists have for building a successful practice. We reached out to Wooshkindein Da.àat Lily Hope (Lily Hope) to get some insight.

You probably know Lily from her renowned Chilkat and Ravenstail practices, which weave together traditional techniques and teachings while uplifting her communities and the next generation of weavers.

Lily is also a Spruce Root alum! She has participated in courses like our Business Basics for Artists workshop and has received small business and financial wellness coaching from our Business and Client Services team.

Follow along to hear what Lily had to share with us about making a living as an artist, advice for those at the beginning of their careers, and resources that have helped her get to where she is today.

Gunalchéesh, Lily, for sharing your wisdom with us!

Inspired to up your artist marketing game? We still have available spots for our upcoming Marketing for Artists course with Sealaska Heritage Institute — find more info and register at our link in bio.

Photographs by Sydney Akagi

09/12/2026

Prince of Wales residents: Are you a tribal citizen? Do you own a home or another type of facility? Are you interested in reducing your energy costs?

Join us next Friday, September 18 to learn more about accessing free heat pump upgrades through the POWER program.

Log on to our virtual webinar to meet the people behind the program, learn how POWER works, get your questions answered, and receive support with the application process.

Find the webinar link and more info at the link in our bio

Curious about the POWER program and how it can support your home or facility? Join us to meet the people behind the program, learn how POWER works, get your questions answered…

09/11/2026

This Finalist Friday, we’re excited to welcome back Jeremy Barrett of Tsiin Designs. Tsiin Designs is a Ketchikan-based business specializing in authentic Northwest Coast formline apparel, accessories, and home décor.

Through culturally rooted design, storytelling, and sustainable practices, Tsiin Designs works to strengthen identity, support local artists, and create meaningful connections between community, culture, and commerce.

“I seek to teach people more respect about our cultures and to strengthen people’s identity,” Jeremy shares. “My motto is: ‘One ovoid at a time.’ Whether it is healing, restoring, teaching, or sharing our art with others, I believe meaningful change happens one step, one design, and one person at a time.”

This is Jeremy’s second year as a Path to Prosperity finalist. He shares that last year’s competition was a great opportunity for building connections with other businesses throughout the region, may of whom he’s stayed in touch with since then.

“Having a network is really a game-changer. Having people to talk to that have or want to start their own business and just bouncing ideas off of them helps build your own dream.”

Congrats, Jeremy! We are glad to have you back as a P2P finalist!

09/09/2026

Are your business hours changing soon? Have any end-of-the-season promotions or events you need to get the word out about? Got any deals for locals?

As we transition out of a busy tourist season and start to set our eyes on fall, it’s a great time for small businesses to reconnect with local audiences. Underwriting with public radio programming is a powerful way to invest in your community, make your voice heard across the region, and support local media.

We reached out to Mariana Robertson, KCAW Raven Radio General Manager, to ask her about the benefits of underwriting.

“Underwriting helps with public recognition, gets information out to the community about your business and services, and supports your local radio station,” Mariana shares. “When people hear your name on public radio, they think ‘This is a business that not only is providing a good service, but also cares about my community.’ That means a lot to people when they’re deciding where they want to shop and do their business.”

Curious about cost? A 20-second spot on KCAW starts at $20/hour, and you can host a webtile on their site for $250/month.

Looking for another way to reach local customers? We compiled a list of tips from our conversation with Mariana — scroll for more advice about getting the most out of underwriting and reach out to your local radio station to find more info about getting your business’ name on air!

09/09/2026

Registration deadline extended! Sign up here: https://spruceroot.org/etn/marketing-for-artists-in-juneau-with-sealaska-heritage-institute/

JUNEAU: Sign up for Path to Prosperity: Marketing for Artists with instructor Spruce Root!

Apply by Sunday, Sept. 6 at http://bit.ly/Path-to-Prosperity-2026

09/04/2026

It’s Finalist Friday! This week, we’re introducing Bear Yates, owner of Spirit Bear Seafoods.

Spirit Bear is an Indigenous-owned, family-operated seafood company based in Craig, rooted in three generations of Haida fishing tradition.

Yates says his inspiration for Spirit Bear comes from his family lineage and a desire to keep the tradition alive for those yet to come.

“The main reason I started [Spirit Bear Seafoods] was because of my grandpa, who was a fisherman. This is a way of me honoring him, trying to pass his legacy, and provide for my family and the next generations,” he shares.

Ground by sustainable harvesting methods, low-impact processing, and strong cultural
foundation, Spirit Bear offers three varieties of high-quality smoked salmon. Yates’ operation catches their salmon using the hook and line method of power trolling, which significantly
reduces bycatch and environmental impact while ensuring the highest possible quality of fish. By selling his fish through Spirit Bear, Yates also has more control over ensuring his product is sustainably processed and distributed.

“I was just tired of selling my fish to the plant and not knowing where it was necessarily going. By getting rid of the middleman, I’m distributing and selling, and I know where all my fish is going. I feel better about it and I’m getting a better price for it,” he explains.

Yates says he hopes to grow Spirit Bear’s operations by developing an in-house processing facility and expanding his market to a variety of small and large buyers. He hopes that participating in the Path to Prosperity Business Competition will help give him the tools to meet these goals.

“I’m excited to go to Entrepreneur Camp. Regardless of whether or not I win, a 4-day business camp is something that I need to help my business grow.”

Congrats, Bear! We are excited to see you at Entrepreneur Camp!

08/31/2026

Sign up here: https://spruceroot.org/etn/marketing-for-artists-in-juneau-with-sealaska-heritage-institute/

JUNEAU: Sign up for Path to Prosperity: Marketing for Artists with instructor Spruce Root!

Apply by Sunday, Sept. 6 at http://bit.ly/Path-to-Prosperity-2026

08/28/2026

This Finalist Friday, we’re excited to introduce Carle Forestry, a natural resources consulting and contracting business on Prince of Wales Island.

Jon Carle and Quinn Aboudara teamed up to launch the business with a shared belief that “there are no better people to care for local lands than local professionals.”

They approach land management with a “local lands, local hands” mentality and are committed to providing the skills and knowledge needed to support a localized forest industry grounded in an understanding of the complex ecosystems of Prince of Wales Island.

Their focus is on sustainable and restorative forestry practices that blend Western science with local and traditional ecological knowledge for the benefit of local fish, wildlife, and communities.

Congratulations to Jon and Quinn, and best of luck as you move your startup forward through the Path to Prosperity Business Competition!