Exploring Northern Pueblo Heritage

by | Jul 23, 2024 | Articles

Crafting pottery is an ancestral part of my heritage. I am eager to learn about it. I am a Native American living in Pojoaque Pueblo, and in writing this article, I decided to explore the variety of Northern Pueblo pottery within the Coe Center Collection and elsewhere. Pottery and potters have been in my family for generations. To explore deeper, I have sought out the processes, designs, and history of Pueblo pottery through Gregory Schaaf’s Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies, Francis H. Harlow’s Two Hundred Years of Historic Pueblo Pottery: The Gallegos Collection and Dark Light: The Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse by Clark, Garth, and Mark Del Vecchio.

I wanted to learn more about the area where my family members made pottery. Two people in my life that I knew made pottery were my grandmother, Mary Gutierrez, and my godmother, Christine McHorse. My grandmother grew up in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, and there, she learned how to make pottery from her grandmother. She made small pieces with depictions of birds and traditional pueblo designs, but she mainly made pottery as a pastime. My godmother, Christine, however, made pottery for a living and has pieces in museums and galleries across the United States.  

Christine Nofchissey McHorse
P.C. The New York Times

Christine was a first-generation potter, born in Southeastern Arizona, and began to learn to make pottery in Northern New Mexico. She was a Navajo woman, and she did not grow up around the pottery-making process. Here in Santa Fe, she learned at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and from her grandmother-in-law the ways of Pueblo pottery. 

As she began to develop her craft, she wanted to push the boundaries of traditional pottery. Christine McHorse seeks to touch the earliest creation moment — something beyond herself, her tribe, and her clan. She often differs with other Native potters, particularly subject of protecting their pottery traditions (Clark, 2013, p. 10). She wanted to use inspiration from everywhere around the world, with no limitations on her or her work, to create pottery like no other. She did exactly that and went on to win several awards at Santa Fe’s renowned Indian Market and has pieces across the world. Although she is gone, the pottery she leaves behind illustrates that boundaries can be broken, and we can achieve far beyond the limitations of our society.

Among the Northern Pueblo tribes, I wanted to learn more about Santa Clara (Khap-o O’wingeh), San Ildefonso (Po-Woh-Ge O’wingeh), Ohkay O’wingeh (formerly known as San Juan), Tesuque (Te Tsu Geh O’wingeh), Nambe (Nambé O’wingeh), and Pojoaque (Po’suwae-geh O’wingeh) Pueblos. These tribes are close to where I grew up, and I am familiar with each pueblo in one way or another. I have ties to Ohkay O’wingeh, from my grandmother, and Santa Clara from my grandfather. I have seen a variety of cultural differences among these pueblos listed, especially in the pottery. 

Historically, pottery was made for everyday use, but as we see today, Pueblo pottery is often made with the sole intention of being an art piece on display. From what I have seen from pottery made by my grandmother and godmother, it is more decorative and expressive, not meant for multipurpose or everyday use. Some of the making processes have become modernized compared to the ancestral way of gathering materials and construction. Yet, each pueblo used different materials and processes for the ways they made their pottery. Francis H. Harlow describes, Until around 1850, pottery made up by Pueblo Indians was mostly for their own domestic usage. Food bowls, water jars, storage jars, and ceremonial vessels were the most common forms, with various special items like canteens, wedding jars, and ladles also made (Harlow, 1990, p. 72).

Moquino, Corn – Black and Sienna Jar with Avanyu, Quail, and Flute Player
P.C. King Galleries

Santa Clara Pueblo is best known for polished black ware, a pottery style with ancient roots dating back to the 12th century. To convert the surface color to the superb midnight black, the jar was then fired in a smudged flame, thereby chemically changing the oxygen-rich “rust” compound of iron in the red clay to an oxygen-poor form that is black (Harlow, 1990, p. 86). This is one of the many ways different tribes added their own touch to their pottery. 

 San Ildefonso Pueblo is best known for polychrome pottery, which is made with clay that has been tempered with crushed volcanic ash. Some potters made designs with traditional features using standard Tewa paste, stone-polished native slips, ceremonial breaks, and red slips extending partway down the neck. Then, in the early 20th century, Maria Martinez and her husband created a new black-on-black matte pottery style. This new pottery process became very popular as it changed the status quo of red polychrome pottery. It stood in contrast to the all-red-dominated market and brought new eyes to this style of pottery.

Redware teapot, Delft, c. 1680, red stoneware imitating Chinese Yixing ware.
P.C. Daderot

In Ohkay O’wingeh Pueblo, their pottery showed early styles of glaze-on-redware with featured glossy designs dating back to the early 13th century. Similar to Santa Clara, they also made polished black ware, but in small quantities. Towards the bottom of blackware bowls and jars, they left the clay surface unpolished, adding their touch to this fabled type of pottery.  

 Tesuque Pueblo is known for two types of pottery, painted and micaceous; more specifically, red-on-black polychrome ware and painted redware. Rather than the regular Tewa paste used across many pueblos, their paste was tan in color, finely fibrous in texture, with spare crystalline sand grains as a standard Tesuque modification (Harlow). In addition to their pottery, Tesuque Pueblo is known for their Muna figure (“rain gods”) depictions on their pottery.

Nambe Pueblo is less known for its pottery than other pueblos, as it made fewer pieces. Of the few found, two types were polished blackware and unpolished micaceous yellowware. The pots that were found were used for daily use.  

Pojoaque Pueblo lost lots of pottery due to the decimation caused by the Spanish conquest. This pueblo was one of the biggest that was affected by the Spanish, and it had to be rebuilt to bring the pueblo where it is today. Of the few pieces found, they were yellow micaceous ware and redware with ornamentation. Despite their generational setbacks and having to rebuild, many tribal members make pottery today. 

After researching and talking with family members about Pueblo pottery, I feel I have a greater understanding of this beautiful art of my people. Pottery was mainly used for everyday use in ancestral times, but today, it provides a deeper understanding of Pueblo Culture. Though fragile and delicate, these pieces that have survived to today show the resilience and strength of Native people.   

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