LAKE TAHOE BASIN, Calif./Nev. – In 2024, Aspen Carrillo painted the first mural in Lake Tahoe created by a Washoe artist and the first to feature the Washoe language. Two years later, the 24-year-old artist is continuing that work, using public art to share Washoe stories, cultural knowledge and a connection to the land across the Tahoe Basin.

Her murals bring bright colors, Washoe words and traditional symbols to walls throughout the region, inviting passersby to learn more about the people whose homeland has long been the Tahoe Basin.

“The reason I know Washoe and speak Paiute is because I feel like there’s a lack of representation of Native Americans,” Carrillo said. “In my homelands of Lake Tahoe, a lot of people don’t even know there’s a tribe up there.”

Her inspiration also comes from her grandmother, a Washoe and Paiute cradleboard weaver and boarding school survivor.

“I’ve always really wanted to make her proud and honor her language, her history and her identity,” Carrillo said. “It all started because I wanted to make my grandma proud.”

Carrillo serves as the youth representative for the Washoe Warriors Society, a grassroots nonprofit organization made up of Washoe community members dedicated to restoring Washoe land, culture and the tribe’s sacred relationship with the Tahoe Basin.

“Mountain Are Always there” – Lake View Commons, South Lake Tahoe

Completed in the summer of 2024, Mountains Are Always There was the first mural in South Lake Tahoe created by a Washoe artist and the first in the city to feature the Washoe language. Carrillo spent about two months bringing the project to life.

The mural weaves together traditional Washoe stories, cultural knowledge and the tribe’s enduring relationship with the land. Carrillo said it represents both day and night, with a hawk on one side and a spirit bird on the other. It also illustrates a traditional Washoe story about rising waters, which explains the formation of the region’s many lakes after ancient floodwaters receded. Another section depicts Coyote and Lizard, referencing a traditional story that explains why lizards are said to have blue bellies. 

Basket patterns incorporated throughout the mural are inspired by designs created by one of Carrillo’s relatives. Along the river are willow, tule and cattails, plants traditionally harvested by the Washoe to weave baskets, bags and other items.

For Carrillo, the mural is ultimately about the Washoe people’s long presence in their ancestral homeland.

“As long as the mountains are there, the Washoe will always be there too,” she said. 

“Wá:šiw ‘itlu’ gáwgayay ‘í:wayé:si” (Speak Washoe all the time) – Kings Beach Visitor Center

Spanning four walls inside the Kings Beach Visitor Center, Wá:šiw ‘itlu’ gáwgayay ‘íé is designed as an educational mural that encourages visitors to learn the Washoe language. Created in collaboration with Shenice Turtle, the mural features native animals, plants and trees, each labeled with its Washoe name alongside an English translation. 

“I think there is a lot of power in the Washoe language, and I’m just trying to get more people to even say one or two words,” she said.

One of the animals featured in the mural is the Sierra red fox, an incredibly rare native species that was spotted in the Tahoe Basin about a month after the mural was completed. Carrillo said she viewed the sighting as a meaningful reminder of the connection between the Washoe language, culture and the natural world. She hopes that teaching people even a few Washoe words will encourage a deeper appreciation for the region’s native plants and animals and inspire efforts to protect them, and even bring them back into Lake Tahoe. 

Carrillo began painting the mural in October 2025 and completed it in January 2026. 

South Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum Mural (In Progress)

Carrillo’s newest mural is currently underway and is expected to be completed in October 2026.

The mural is being created for the South Lake Tahoe Historical Society as part of a new exhibit inside a cabin adjacent to the museum that will explore the history of transportation in the Tahoe Basin.

Rather than retelling the familiar story of explorer John C. Frémont’s “discovery” of Lake Tahoe, Carrillo said the mural will present the often-overlooked Washoe perspective. It will highlight the assistance the Washoe people provided to Frémont and his party, including sharing food, teaching winter survival skills and helping them navigate the Sierra.

By centering the Washoe role in the region’s history, Carrillo hopes the mural will offer visitors a more complete understanding of the people who have called the Tahoe Basin home since time immemorial.

Beyond Murals: Washoe Warriors Society Festival Logo

In addition to her murals, Carrillo also works as a graphic designer, creating artwork that celebrates and preserves Washoe culture.

One of those projects was the logo for the Washoe Warriors Society’s T’anu ʔIšɨmiʔ (“The People Singing”), a free Indigenous music festival fundraiser on Aug. 1 at Truckee River Regional Park.

The design features people round dancing around Lake Tahoe, surrounded by native wildflowers and sage, plants that grow throughout the basin and hold cultural significance for the Washoe people.