IRENE MCCLOUD

Irene McCloud is an enrolled member of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians with strong ancestral ties to Nisqually, Quinault, Quileute, and Chehalis. She grew up on the Nisqually Reservation and started working at Nisqually Head Start in 2013. Working with the children in Nisqually is where she discovered her interest in learning the Lushootseed language, which led her to the Lushootseed Language Institute. From there, she took online language classes and earned her Level 1 certification in 2020. Irene became a language teacher at Grandview Early Learning Center. Now, she works with the Puyallup Tribal Language Program as an instructor. Outside of teaching, she also curates a Native streetwear brand called Hutxh, which integrates Puyallup culture and the Lushootseed language into fashion. Irene strives to uplift her community through her work and creative endeavors.

spuyaləpabš tsi Irene McCloud gʷəl hikʷ ti səsyayəbid ti sqʷaliʔabš yəxʷ ti kʷinaył yəxʷ ti kʷəniyəctx̌ yəxʷ ti sq’ʷayił. ʔal ti tusč’ač’aš ʔəsłałlil ʔal tə sqʷaliʔabš swatixʷtəd gʷələ ʔuyayus ʔal ti Nisqually Head Start ʔal ti saliačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ dᶻaladub yəxʷ ti padac yəxʷ ti łixʷ. ƛ’uyayus ʔəsq‘ʷuʔ ʔə ti wiw’su ʔal ti sqʷaliʔabš gʷəl ʔuhayalbut ʔəsq’ič ti txʷəlšucid txʷəl tsiił. huy gʷəl ʔuʔux̌ʷ txʷəl ti LLI. tul’al tiił, ʔuləhaydub ti txʷəlšucid liłal tiił gʷəł x̌ʷiqʷadiʔ ƛ’atəd sgʷəlčəd gʷəl ʔukʷədəd tiił dᶻixʷus certification ʔal tə saliačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ dᶻaladub yəxʷ ti saliačiʔ. huy gʷəl ʔugʷəlčšitəb ʔə Irene ti wiw’su ʔə tə txʷəlšucid ʔal tə hikʷ sx̌əčiqʷ. ʔal ti sləx̌il, ʔuyayus txʷəl ti puyaləpabš txʷəlšucid syayusadiʔ. dxʷgʷəlčšid tsiʔił. dibid ʔə ti sugʷəlčšid, tsi siʔab ʔə tiił Native streetwear brand. Hutxh ti sdaʔs gʷəl ʔuq’ʷugʷasəd ti puyaləpabš ʔalalus yəxʷ ti txʷəlšucid ʔal ti sƛ’alabac. liłal tiił syayus ʔə Irene səxʷušəqəd tiił ʔiišəds.