Judy is a Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Wife, Aunty, Cousin, and Friend. She is a Tulalip Tribal Member and has lived her whole life on her reservation. Her parents are Loretta James and Harold Joseph of Tulalip. She learned weaving from Anna Jefferson of the Lummi Nation, through a rediscovery program that Tulalip held in 1991. Since 1992, Judy has gathered and prepared, cut and snipped her own cedar for all of her projects (with the help of her husband) and will continue.
To see some of her commissioned work, please visit the Tulalip Casino Lobby. She and her daughter, Heather, entered a juried competition and received first place in the Southwestern American Indian Art Competition. Currently, her tribal museum holds her Potlatch Collection. Judy weaves baskets, dolls, jewelry, picture frames, headbands, mattes, roses, rattles, and many other items. She has also taught classes, but mostly in her home.
Her biggest and most rewarding accomplishment was a commission to create 110 graduation caps made of Western Red Cedar for all of the graduates from High School and College at Tulalip. All in 4 months, what an accomplishment!