My Bio
Eric Wilder (Kashaya Band of Pomo Indians) grew up on the Kashaya Reservation near Stewarts Point. The Grandson of Kashaya Spiritual Leader Essie Parrish (1941-1979) Eric showed a strong interest in learning the cultural and ceremonial practices of the Kashaya Pomo. Eric desired to be a singer and his Grandparents Sidney and Essie Parrish taught him feather dance songs and prayer songs. Having gone through a ceremony to become a singer Eric was also taught plant uses, gathering areas, name places, historical events, genealogy, hunting and gathering techniques and laws and tribal laws and family practices. Eric would be given duties as a person under the Spiritual Leader. He was a fire tender for the Roundhouse (spiritual building), feather dancer, singer and was designated as a Big Head Dancer (a special honor to dance one of four head dresses that belonged to his Grandmother to honor and keep her doctoring spirits strong) Eric was eventually made a Head man for his family.
In his mid-teens, Eric’s Grandparents passed away in 1978 and 1979. His Grandmother decided to close the roundhouse and not leave the dancing, and this left Eric without being able to continue his love of being a singer.
Eric then decided to pour his efforts into his other passion, art. He started out by drawing some of the psychedelic art that he had seen in the 1960’s and started drawing cartoons from watching them on television. One day Eric would open a magazine of Conan the Barbarian that his cousin had, and it was then that he decided he would love to be a comic book artist. He would draw all the time learning from looking at other comic book artist’s work. He eventually would get a scholarship to attend an art institute in New Mexico and before he was able to leave for school his father suffered and unfortunate accident which left him paralyzed. Eric then realized he couldn’t leave his family when they were in such a crisis. He asked the institute if he could wait a semester so he could help get his family settled but was told he had to come or lose his scholarship. It was then that Eric basically stopped drawing. Other then projects that he was hired for Eric never drew with any passion anymore.
In 1991 Eric walked into a comic bookstore and began a conversation with the owner about comics and artists that he used to love. It was that conversation that Eric’s passion for art returned, and he began to draw all the time. He would draw pictures for the comic bookstore and one day a software company saw his work and would eventually hire him as an Animator for video games. He would learn to do storyboards, character design, level design, drawing textures, model sheets and concept art.
Eric left the video game industry and went to work for his tribe to help with their language preservation program. It was then that Eric realized he could use the art knowledge he had learned and the traditional knowledge he had to use together to help teach and preserve his people’s language. He served two terms and Tribal Secretary and two terms and Tribal Chairman of his tribes Tribal Council. Eric then went on to work for another tribe in their environmental department creating activity books, designing websites and other graphic designs to help teach traditional environmental knowledge.
On the advice of his sister, Eric began to develop a line of greeting cards. They became very popular in the native community and eventually he created prints, posters and clocks with his tribe’s language to teach numbers. Eric has spoken at many of the Northern California High schools, Elementaries, Colleges and Universities. Today Eric works as a graphic artist and gives lectures on Kashaya traditional culture and is a storyteller and currently serves as the President of the Gualala Arts Center Board of Directors.
Eric has created The Native Arts Expo. Held at the Gualala Arts Center since 2015. The Native Arts Expo features both emerging and experienced Native Artists and offers an opportunity to learn about traditional and contemporary Native Art. The Expo has been a dream of his for many years to be able to bring native artist from many different art fields to help in Educating the public about indigenous cultural perspectives through art.
Eric follows his grandmother’s teaching: “Within all of you is your Grandparents and your ancestors too. Each one of you has a talent, don’t hide it, bring it out for everyone to see, especially the young ones. That way they will know who they are, so they won’t grow up lost like the wild weeds.” Eric says “We are not just a people from the past. We are still here.”
In his mid-teens, Eric’s Grandparents passed away in 1978 and 1979. His Grandmother decided to close the roundhouse and not leave the dancing, and this left Eric without being able to continue his love of being a singer.
Eric then decided to pour his efforts into his other passion, art. He started out by drawing some of the psychedelic art that he had seen in the 1960’s and started drawing cartoons from watching them on television. One day Eric would open a magazine of Conan the Barbarian that his cousin had, and it was then that he decided he would love to be a comic book artist. He would draw all the time learning from looking at other comic book artist’s work. He eventually would get a scholarship to attend an art institute in New Mexico and before he was able to leave for school his father suffered and unfortunate accident which left him paralyzed. Eric then realized he couldn’t leave his family when they were in such a crisis. He asked the institute if he could wait a semester so he could help get his family settled but was told he had to come or lose his scholarship. It was then that Eric basically stopped drawing. Other then projects that he was hired for Eric never drew with any passion anymore.
In 1991 Eric walked into a comic bookstore and began a conversation with the owner about comics and artists that he used to love. It was that conversation that Eric’s passion for art returned, and he began to draw all the time. He would draw pictures for the comic bookstore and one day a software company saw his work and would eventually hire him as an Animator for video games. He would learn to do storyboards, character design, level design, drawing textures, model sheets and concept art.
Eric left the video game industry and went to work for his tribe to help with their language preservation program. It was then that Eric realized he could use the art knowledge he had learned and the traditional knowledge he had to use together to help teach and preserve his people’s language. He served two terms and Tribal Secretary and two terms and Tribal Chairman of his tribes Tribal Council. Eric then went on to work for another tribe in their environmental department creating activity books, designing websites and other graphic designs to help teach traditional environmental knowledge.
On the advice of his sister, Eric began to develop a line of greeting cards. They became very popular in the native community and eventually he created prints, posters and clocks with his tribe’s language to teach numbers. Eric has spoken at many of the Northern California High schools, Elementaries, Colleges and Universities. Today Eric works as a graphic artist and gives lectures on Kashaya traditional culture and is a storyteller and currently serves as the President of the Gualala Arts Center Board of Directors.
Eric has created The Native Arts Expo. Held at the Gualala Arts Center since 2015. The Native Arts Expo features both emerging and experienced Native Artists and offers an opportunity to learn about traditional and contemporary Native Art. The Expo has been a dream of his for many years to be able to bring native artist from many different art fields to help in Educating the public about indigenous cultural perspectives through art.
Eric follows his grandmother’s teaching: “Within all of you is your Grandparents and your ancestors too. Each one of you has a talent, don’t hide it, bring it out for everyone to see, especially the young ones. That way they will know who they are, so they won’t grow up lost like the wild weeds.” Eric says “We are not just a people from the past. We are still here.”