Tammy Owens

Tammy was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska and is a member of the Southeast Alaska Tlingit Tribe. Her family originates from Angoon, Alaska.

She follows her mother’s lineage, which means she is a Eagle/Killer Whale Clan, from the Killer Whale Tooth house. One of her Tlingit names is Awaste - there is no direct translation for this name, only referencing that it belonged to one of the two old women that her clan sent underneath the glacier to find a way back to the coast for her people after the Great Flood.

Her father is a renowned Tlingit silversmith and jeweler, Gene W. Chilton. He taught Tammy how to design, then later how to carve silver, gold, and copper. Growing up with artistic parents and family, art was always a part of life. She started by sewing traditional woolen button blankets, regalia, and bead work and grew from there.

Tammy has found art as a way to connect her and her family to her culture!