An Ancient American Indian Tradition
NO MATTER where you go in the world, you will find that each place has its own traditional art forms. Paintings, figurines, wood carvings, pottery, or other objects can usually be found in gift and curio shops. Have you ever purchased any of these to decorate your home? If so, why not check and see where the article was actually made. Do not be surprised if you find that it was manufactured in another country.
For centuries craftsmen have carved their initials on the bottom of their wares to show whose creations they were. Today, however, you will most likely find a sticker or a stamp indicating that the item is mass-produced, not handcrafted. These mass-produced look-alikes are becoming more popular, and traditional handmade artwork is harder to find. However, can the traditional, locally produced pieces still be found?
Visiting an American Indian Reservation
Indeed they can, we discovered, when we went to visit some American Indian friends who still do their own traditional artwork. They belong to the Santa Clara Pueblo Indian tribe, known especially for their polished black pottery—some of the most beautiful pottery in the world. Their traditional wares are far different from the mass-produced items found in many shops in the southwestern United States.
Our friends, Joe and Anita, have been making pottery the traditional way for many years. Anita started making pottery with her mother when she was six years old. One of Anita’s pieces is in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., in its display of American Indian Arts.
We arrived at Joe and Anita’s home just as they were getting ready to start a new batch of pottery. So now we would be able to see firsthand how it is done. We have made some pottery ourselves in the past. But we did it the modern way with molds, slip, and a kiln. What we were about to witness was the ancient way, passed on from generation to generation. No modern technology in this process. Everything is done from scratch.
Gathering the Ingredients
First, Joe and Anita had to gather the ingredients. We went off in their pickup truck to a hillside where they find the clay. Located on the reservation, this clay is available only to tribe members, of whom there are about 2,400 in the Santa Clara Pueblo. Most of them make their pottery in the traditional way that dates back to about the 1500’s. As we pulled up to the hillside, Joe grabbed his pick and headed for a vein of clay.
The vein extends horizontally at the bottom of the hill. Joe had to lie on his side and pick away at the vein, pulling out chunks of clay about the size of bricks. This can be risky, for the deeper you go, the greater the chances are for a cave-in. After Joe finished getting between 125 and 150 pounds [60-70 kg] of what he referred to as very good-quality clay, we were ready to leave. But I couldn’t help but ask why they did not get several hundred pounds of the clay at one time and save themselves a few trips back. Anita told us: “That is not the Indian way.” They only take from the land what they will use at the time. Much could be wasted if the clay was allowed to sit around and get hard.
Next, it was off to another hillside to get white sand. This was much easier—just a matter of scooping up one or two bucketfuls. Then we returned to their home.
The Process
The clay is first soaked in water for a few days. Then it is screened three or four times. The sand is also screened several times. After that, Joe will mix the two together to just the right consistency. No measuring of one or the other is done. Experience is what counts. There must be a certain amount of sand in the clay to help the pottery retain its shape when fired. Too much or too little and the pot will crack or chip. Anita told us that when she first started making pottery on her own, she would take the clay to her mother so that her mother could feel it and let her know if there was enough sand in it. Soon she learned to tell by herself.
Using his bare feet, Joe kneaded the clay and sand together until it felt just right. Now they were ready to make the pottery. No molds were used. Each piece is unique and shaped by hand. Anita spends many hours shaping her piece before putting it aside to dry. When it is half dry and stiffened a little to what is called leather hard, it can be etched or hand carved with patterns or lines. It is then allowed to dry completely, which may take up to a week, depending on the humidity. It is now ready to sand. This smooths the clay and gets it ready for polishing.
The polishing is done by hand with a smooth riverbed stone. It has to be just right. Too much or too little polishing and the piece will not have a shine after it is fired. No painting is done. The polishing process is what gives it its beautiful shine.
A Unique Firing Process
Now for the final step: firing the pottery. To do this, they build a fire in their yard. No kilns are used here! An oven is created by stacking pieces of firewood on end and placing more wood over the top of the upright pieces, shaping them like an oven with an open end for inserting the pottery. This is then lit. By experience they know when the fire is at just the right temperature to slide in the pottery.
When the pottery is fired, its natural color will be red. Then, at the precise moment, Joe takes an unusual step. He heaps horse manure on the fire! This is what turns the pottery black. When the oxygen is reduced, the red iron oxide in the clay turns chemically to black iron oxide. Of course, by the smell you can always tell when someone is firing black pottery in the area!
The finished product is something to be proud of, and many people worldwide enjoy its beauty. Originally, such pottery was used for practical purposes, such as for storing various household ingredients. In some parts of the world, it is still used in this way. But one beautiful piece of pottery will be used to decorate our home and to announce proudly that we have visited the Santa Clara Pueblo, where ancient American Indian traditions are still observed.—Contributed.
[Pictures on page 25]
Brick-sized chunks of clay are dug out
The clay is shaped by hand
The pottery is fired in a traditional oven