Hupa-Yurok artist George Blake received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, conferred by the California State University and Humboldt State University, on October 11, 2016. Blake creates his art using wood, silver, bones and antlers. He is recognized as one of the few living people skilled in the traditional art of dugout canoe building. A Yurok dugout canoe created by Blake is on display in the HSU Library. Other works of Blake have been on display at the Smithsonian. Blake was honored by