Linda King, born in St. Ignatius on the Flathead Indian Reservation and an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, is nationally acclaimed for her exquisite beadwork, regalia, weaving, and quilt work. In addition to her work as an artist, she has devoted more than twenty years to teaching Cultural Arts at Salish Kootenai College. She holds a Child Development Associate credential and a Bachelor’s in Cultural Arts, and continues to practice her art both in the studio and at home. Guided by knowledge passed down from family members, elders, and noted tribal cultural art teachers—alongside formal workshops and Indigenous gatherings—Linda’s work reflects a deep commitment to her traditions.
As a young woman eager to create dance outfits but without a family teacher, she learned by observing at powwows. She began beading in her early teens, drawing on guidance from her father—an expert beader—along with elders and other community members. In 1972, she launched a home-based beading company, fulfilling custom orders for small items. Her repertoire grew to include ceremonial dresses, dance regalia, award-winning star quilts, and basketry. She is also a dedicated traditional tribal dancer, regularly participating in events such as the Flathead Indian Nation’s Annual Fourth of July Celebration and the Standing Arrow Powwows.
Linda’s artistry and expertise have been recognized through numerous invitations and exhibitions. In 1992, she was selected by the State of Montana to provide lectures and demonstrations for the traveling exhibit “Bridles, Bits, and Beads.” In 2017, she was an invited artist for “Tears of Duk’ Wibhl,” an international gathering of Pacific Rim Indigenous visual artists. The following year, she was one of sixty weavers at “Teaching of the Tree People,” held at Evergreen State College’s Longhouse in Olympia, Washington, where she created the “Teaching of the Tree People Basket”—crafted from cedar, waxed cotton, and linen cord, its imagery weaving together the stories of West Coast Tree People and attendees of the gathering. This basket was featured in “The Land Carries Our Ancestors” exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, in September 2023 and is currently traveling to several other major museums.