Page 11 - Tribal Court Law and Justice Booklet

Tribal Artist Produces Artwork Symbolic
of Justice and Native Pride

Tribal Court contacted artist Mike Gobin (Tulalip Tribal Member) of the
Tribal Design Department, to see about acquiring artwork for the court-
rooms in 2010.
Mike envisioned two large cedar, spindle whorls to be displayed behind
the judges benches in courtrooms I and II. “I carved these pieces in
honor of my father Thomas J. Gobin, former Arlington Police Chief (15+
years), the one-time TGA Director, and pastor. He often said “people will
judge you by the company you keep. You can fool your friends, you can
fool your family, but you can’t fool yourself. His father’s Indian name
“yezoelafsifab” means man soaring with eagles, a man of high integrity.
The innately beautiful wood carvings bear the scales of justice with a
salmon design.

These creations are symbolic of justice, sovereignty and Native pride.
Mike’s been an artist for 50 years mostly painting with acrylics. When
the Tribal Design Department opened roughly over 12 years ago, he
started carving under the auspices of artists’ James Madison and Joe
Gobin.

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