Marvin Slim, Navajo 'ring' leader

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Among the treasures we found in our adventures at SWAIA’s Santa Fe Indian Market 2006, were Marvin and Luana Slim. We spotted them showing their jewelry under the portal at the Palace of the Governors (see below). Their influence on us was more than casual.

We have long avoided offering Native American Indian jewelry rings, except for a style in silver, gold and silver with gold overlay made by our friend, Michael Kirk of Isleta. We offered them because they were adjustable in size.

Sizing is critical in rings and almost impossible for rings sold over the Web. Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, pendants, pins and pin/pendants generally offer no sizing problems, assuming the client reads the dimensions of the piece and measures their need.

Rings are different. So, until we ran into the rings made by Marvin Slim, we didn’t carry them.

But Marvin’s rings are both beautiful and adjustable. A little too small or a little too large? Just adjust. With no risk of damage to the stones.

Now we have added a few of Marvin Slim’s rings to our offerings. This sterling silver loop has silver bar with mother of pearl inlay on one end with a turquoise cabochon on the other. This one combines a silver bar with a pink mussel shell cabochon.
This one has a green turquoise cabochon connected around the loop to a silver arc. You can see enlargements of each by clicking on the thumbnail picture.

Note that the opening at the top of the ring is what allows the ring to be made to fit a somewhat smaller or somewhat larger finger.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

A Bit of the North in the Southwest

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One of the highlights of our visit in Santa Fe was an interlude in the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, just of West Palace and almost across the street from the Cathedral.A current exhibit is entitled, “Arctic Reflections” and featured works by legendary Aleut artist, Bill Prokopiof, 1944-1999. Three pieces by him, lent from the artist’s collection captivated us.

His Peter’s Wolf presents a wolf head on shrouded torso.Walrus Mask is another impressive Prokopiof work on display.Walking Wally will put a smile on the face of every walrus lover.Also on display is a carved head, entitled “The Spirit”, by Point Hope, Alaska, Eskimo artist, Othiel “Art” Anaqulutaq Oomittuk, Jr. The teeth appear to baleen.This, plus a 25-year retrospective show of the jewelry of Chugach Aleuts, Denise and Samuel Wallace, gave visitors to the Southwest at healthy dose of art from the North.

Robert Andrews on Indian Market

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A Santa Fe Indian Market 2006 competition. He had some interesting comments on the entries and competition.

Robert expressed disappointment with the number of entries in this years pottery competition, "We started by reducing our target for accepted pieces because of the change in the judging place."

He was referring to the fact that the Sweeney Center, venue for previous Indian Market judging, is being demolished and will be replaced by a new conference and exhibition center.

"We simply had less space to judge in at the Inn (of Lorretto). So we anticipated the problem and reduced the number of entries that would be accepted for judging."

What was not anticipated, according to Andrews, was the rainy weather.

Native American pottery is not only hand-coiled and formed, it also is hand-fired, most authentically in open fires outside. Rain makes it impossible to schedule and complete firing in the traditional fashion. This summer has been unusually wet, which can be attested to by the green-ness of the desert across New Mexico and the flooding in Albuquerque.

As a result, Andrews observed that number of pieces entered to be judged was about half of normal.

"This does not diminish the accomplishments of the winners, especially Russell's (Sanchez) Best of Classification and other Standards winners," Andrews said, "I just wish we had seen more entries to judge."

Andrews is wondering whether or not he will continue in a leadership position at Indian Market in 2007. "It takes a lot of time and a lot of volunteers. I just don' t know about next year," Andrews concluded.

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Writer's note: Each year the Santa Fe Indian Market relies on volunteers to function. It could not be done with them. We both thank those who give of their time and encourage anyone who is interested in Indian art to show up as a volunteer next year.

Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

Friends we saw at Indian Market

As we walked the rows of booths that lined Lincoln Avenue, Washington Avenue, Palace Avenue, San Francisco Street and Old Santa Fe Trail, we were pleased to see so many old friends in the Indian Arts community.

Among them were Angelina Medina, Randy Chitto, Luana Slim, Marvin Slim, Michael Kirk, Michael Kanteena, Tammie Allen, David Baca, Richard Begay, Autumn Borts-Medlock, Mike Bird-Romero, Jimmy Calabeza, Caroline Carpio, Barbara Cerno, Joe Cerno, Daniel Chattin, Lorraine Chinana, Carolyn Concho, Prudy Correa, Cippy Crazyhorse, Debra Duwyenie, Preston Duwyenie, Jackie Histia Shutiva, Wilfred Garcia, Dorothy Gutierrez, Margaret Gutierrez, Paul Gutierrez, Delbridge Honanie, Rondina Huma, Tommy Jackson, Carlton Jamon, Julie Marie Jamon, Al Joe, Ron Laahty, Jerry Laktonen, Judy Lewis, Sharon Lewis, Diane Lewis, Pam Lujan-Hauer, Duane Maktima, Elizabeth Manygoats, Samuel Manymules, Martha Mirabel, Berniece Moquino, Jennifer Moquina, Dusty Naranjo, Charmae Natseway, Thomas Natseway, Gibbs Othole, Andrew Padilla, Earl Plummer, Veronica Poblano, Jayne Quam, Lynn Quam, Andres Quandelacy, Joel Queen, Marilyn Ray, Angie Reano, Charlene Reano, Andrew Rodriquez, Geraldine Sandia, Noreen Simplicio, Marvin Slim, Mary Small, Vangie Suina, Emily Tafoya, Tom Tapia, Christine Teller, Lynette Teller, Stella Teller, Robert Tenorio, Elvis Torres, Lonnie Vigil, Kathleen Wall, John Whiterock, Shyatesa White Dove, Angie Yazzie and Alvin Yellowhorse.

It was a wonderful experience to see so many talented people and the fruits of their work all in one place.

Another selection of Santa Fe Indian Market winners.

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The pictures below and in the previous post were taken by the witer at the press preview on Friday night, August 18.

The lighting was ambient. The tables were filled with many ribbon winners. The time was limited. The photographs betray these problems.

It seemed to me, however, that you who visit this blog would be interested in photos of the winners.

Autumn Ray Borts-Medlock, Santa Clara, was the creator
of the deeply incized vase above.Pahponee, Kickapoo and Potawatomi, continued her tradition of
adventurous potting with the blue ribbon winning plate above. Rainey Naha, Hopi, followed in the family footsteps with this First Prize winner
and winner of the Helen Naha Memorial Award (above).

Rebecca Lucario, Acoma, was responsible for the plate above,
a winner of a coveted First Prize blue ribbon. Ronda Huma, Hopi, applied her unique painting and design characteristics
to the above bowl, which also won a First Prize blue ribbon.Samuel Manymules, Navajo, showed his delicate sense of balance,
symmetry and polish in this tall bowl - a blue ribbon First Prize winner.

Virgil Ortiz, Cochiti, entered this unusual figurative pottery piece
and was rewarded with a First Prize blue ribbon.

Covering the 85th Annual SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market 2006 as a writer and blogger was a rare opportunity and a great privilege. I'm excited to be able to share aspects of that coverage with you.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

As Promised - Some Additional Winners

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In an earlier message, I mentioned that a number of other First Prize and
Second Prize winners at Santa Fe Indian Market 2006 would be shown in Tribal Artery.
Here are a few of them.

This pottery piece, created by Mary Janice Ortiz, Cochiti,
was a First Prize winner. This charming pottery train, also a First Prize winner,
was created by Marilyn Ray, Acoma. John Whiterock, Navajo, won a Second Prize
red ribbon for this olla. Both of these white-slipped pots won blue ribbons
for Jackie Histia Shutiva, Acoma. This blue-ribbon-winning nativity set was the work
of Gary Gutierrez, Santa Clara.

We'll have more in the next day or two. Thanks for visiting Tribal Artery.

Old Friends and New Acquaintances at Indian Market

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Saturday, the opening day of the 85th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market 2006, started out overcast, but dry. Soon, it was rainy. Not just a little. But steady rain. At one point, given the amount of rain that had fallen in previous days and was falling this day, and the simultaneous flooding in Albuquerque, just an hour to the south, SWAIA officials were touring the booths preparing the artists to move their art up off the ground.

While it dampened the setting, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of art buyers who crowded the 800+ booths. Sunday came with even more rain, severely diminishing morning attendance. Then, shortly after noon, the clouds disappeared and gave art buyers a sunny environment for adding to their collections.

We were happy to see old friends, many of whom have items on our web sites and new, soon-to-be friends whose work we have admired but who we have not had the pleasure to know personally. Among those we encountered – Amelia Joe-Chandler, seen here with the piece (lower right-hand) that earned her Artist of the Year for the Indian Arts & Crafts Association 2006-2007.

Amelia is a fascinating jewelry designer and metalsmith. She works primairily in silver and copper, employing techniques of negative space, line, shape, color and texture. She observes, “These elements… will not be shown all together on one piece as it is not wise to say too much or show too much.”

In addition to her accomplishments as a creator of fine art jewelery, Amelia has earned a BS in Art Education from the New Mexico State University and an MS in Art Education from Indiana University, and has held teaching positions that she describes as challenging “every aspect of my knowledge from a Westerner’s view of art.”

We are told that Amelia is featured in the latest issue of Native Peoples Magazine.

A new face for us was Shelden Nunez-Velarde (below), Jicarilla Apache, who is potting in micaceous clay.

Shelden lives at Dulce on the Jicarilla Reservation. One of his pots will be finding its way to our Pottery Link web site shortly. It's body is bronze-colored micaceous clay. The lid is black micaceous clay cut in the shape of a turtle. A leather handle allows the lid to be lifted.

Old faces were Lena Boone and daughter, Evalena Boone, who shared a booth with Ray Tsethlikia and his wife, Debra Gasper . All four of these Zuni fetish carvers are represented on our ZuniLink web site. In fact, three of the nicest shell fetish necklaces we have ever carried are the work of Debra.

While in Santa Fe, we visited Keshi, gallery that offers a wide range of fetish carvings from Zuni and from our friends, Wilson Romero, Salvador Romero and Lionel Sanchez from Cochiti. We expect to be interviewing Bronwyn Fox, one of Keshi’s proprietors, to get insight about Indian Market weekend from the perspective of a Santa Fe gallery. We hope to have that story posted to the blog in the next few days.

Tomorrow, we will post photos about additional First and Second Place winners in the Indian Market competition.

Plan to revisit.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

A 'Growing' Tradition of Excellence

(Click here, if you are receiving this blog in text only and would like to see it in HTML.)When Jessica Growing Thunder was announced as winner of Best of Show in the Youth Classification at this year’s SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market (shown above), she was extending an awarding-winning tradition of beading to a third generation.

Jessica’s mother, Juanita Growing Thunder, (shown above tending to the Growing Thunder booth at Indian Market) had won in previous Indian Market competitions.

Jessica’s grandmother, Joyce Growing Thunder, (shown above at her Indian Market booth) had won three times previously and had received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

This talented Assiniboine Sioux family lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California.

According to Juanita, Jessica was influenced by her grandmother, Joyce, who work at her side as she created the winning beaded cradle board.

She beamed with pride as she considered that next year, at 18 years old, Jessica will compete at Indian Market as an adult.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

To Honor Grandmother

Sarah Paul Begay had just learned that her impressive weaving in the form of a massive Navajo rug had been named Best of Show in the 2006 Santa Fe Indian Market competition. She stood with hands cupped to her face, instinctively hiding the tears that filled her eyes.

Composing herself, she spoke of how much work the weaving had been and what had inspired her to complete it. It represented three years of labor, with 195 colors and two-and-one-half miles of warp in its 12’8” by 9’ 9” breadth and 12 panels.


“I wove it to honor my Grandmother,” said Begay. “I used to run off to my Grandmother’s house, with my Mother certain I was trying to get away from chores at home.” Instead, Begay was learning life’s lessons and becoming imbued with the tradition of Navajo weaving.

Holding back the tears and struggling with the best way to express her feelings, Begay gave the people gathered at the Tesuque Room at Santa Fe’s Inn at Loretto a description of the symbols and meanings portrayed in the weaving.

She described the dyes she used: stink buds, Folger’s coffee, Yuban, black walnut, cochineal (purple) and a light blue from ground-up battery casing tempered with baking soda. “At one point,” she said to the collective chuckle of the group, “I added vinegar to the mix and learned they don’t go together. That mix went up.”

She talked about the legend of coyote and the holy man. She pointed out the four sacred buffaloes, the four Navajo protective bears facing east and a central panel showing the horse and cart returning home from the trading post, with the family dog running behind.

She pointed out the panels of yei bei chei dancers, at night on one side and during the day on the other side. The top six panels were identified for their traditional Navajo weaving patterns, with the upper central panel replicating the very first pattern she ever wove under the tutelage her Grandmother.

“As I was pulling the final thread, yarn, I had tears in my eyes. I said, ‘Thank you, Grandmother. I’m sorry for all the name-calling.' ”

Today, she has a Best of Show Award to show for her dedication to work and her dedication to her Grandmother’s teachings.

SWAIA SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET BEST of SHOW

Dateline: August 18, 2006 - Today, the Southwest Association for Indian Arts, Inc. announced the Best of Show, Best of Classification and other awards for the 85th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market 2006.


Best of show was awarded to Sarah Paul Begay, Navajo, for an extraordinarily large (12'8" x 9'9") and well woven Navajo rug (below), which also won Best of Classification VI - Textiles & Basketry.
Best of Classification Awards went to Edison Cummings, Navajo, for Classification I - Jewelry (below),
to Russell Sanchez, San Ildefonso, for Classification II - Pottery (below),
to Alex Jacobs, Akwesasne Mohawk, for Classification III - Paintings, Drawings, Graphics & Photography (below),to Aaron Fredericks, Hopi, for Classification IV - Wooden Pueblo Figurative Carvings & Sculpture (below),
to Marvin Oliver, Quinah, for Classification V - Sculpture (below),to Rhonda Holy Bear, Cheyenne River Sioux, for Classification VII - Diverse Art Forms (below),

to Jamie Okuma, Luiseno/Shoshone-Bannock for Classification VIII - Bead Work & Quill Work (below),

to Jessica Growing Thunder, Assiniboine Sioux, for Classification IX - Youth (17 years & under),
Sarah Paul Begay provided a wonderful description of her rug and how it was created. We will paraphrase her comments, and show some additional First Prize and other awards in a latter blog message. Come back soon.

A Trip to the Museum

Arguably, the museums on Museum Hill in Santa Fe represent the most impressive nexus of Native American Indian culture and art in the world. Granted, I have not visited the Smithsonian in recent years, and I have long admired the Heye Collection.

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Susanne’s and my visit to Museum Hill yesterday, however, turned my opinion towards the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, both of which share the Hill with the International Folk Art Museum. The Wheelwright, a private museum, currently hosts a primary exhibit entitled, “The First Phase: Early Navajo Textiles and Silver.” It features serapes, blankets and rugs by historic and contemporary Navajo weavers, and relates how Navajo artists evolved into silver-smithing as a result of loosing their sheep and wool resources in the 1800s.

One of the most interesting aspects of the exhibition, from our perspective, is the fairly comprehensive definition of First Phase, Second Phase and Third Phase “Chief’s Blankets”. Experts suggest that the label, “Chief’s Blankets”, never referred to them as blankets made to be worn by Navajo chiefs. More likely, they say, is that the “Chief’s Blanket” designs became the preferred design in trade with Plains Indian chiefs. Another theory is more mundane. It suggests that the term was a promotional creation, prominently used by the Hubbell Trading Post, to add additional romance to the Navajo textiles it was selling.

Nevertheless, "Chief's Blankets" have distinctive styles according to the time periods during which they were woven. First Phase blankets are more basic in design, usually featuring horizontal stripes in natural, indigo and white. Second Phase blankets become more complicated in design with the addition of red yarn and complex patterns. Third Phase blankets are characterized by corner designs that appear coordinatedwhen the blanket is worn over the shoulders and folded in a certain way.

(Navajo weaving and silver-smithing is closely tied to the poor treatment the tribal members received at the hands of the US government during their removal to the Bosque Redondo. This subject deserves more discussion than can be given here. But it should not be ignored completely whenever one is reflecting about the evolution of Navajo material culture.)

This informative show resides above one of Santa Fe’s most impressive Indian Art salesrooms; The Case Trading Post. We have always enjoyed the Case, especially the old wood floor that would squeak as you walked across it. Today’s experience was different. The crowd was so large that the old wood floor was beyond its ability to squeak. They were attracted by the Navajo textiles and silver show and by the presence of artists “in residence” in the Case, representing their work to enthusiastic fans and buyers.

Elizabeth Manygoats was working there, in the artist’s corner,
creating her distinctive Navajo pottery.

Alicia Nelson was there, weaving Navajo baskets of extraordinary detail and finesse. (She requested that we not photograph the baskets.)

In the Trading Post retail area, we found Samuel Manymules, (shown here with
Susanne and examples of his work) whose pots have been re-defining beauty
and quality in Navajo pottery. Examples also are offered at Native PotteryLink.

Michael Kanteena also was present, showing his unique work in
Laguna Pueblo pottery that emulates historic and prehistoric looks.
You'll find a nice example here.

We also met for the first time Orlan Honyumptewa, Hopi katsina carver, and his family, including his young son, Trevor, who is starting his own carving career.

Fabian Tsethlikai was also present with a selection his Zuni fetish carvings.
Fabian’s work is included in pieces on our ZuniLink web site.

We also noted that Kent McManis has a new book on fetish carving that will be offered at an autograph signing session tomorrow. Kent is an unchallenged authority on the subject. We first worked with him when he was the manager of Sandia Pueblo’s Bien Mur store. We still consider him a friend and value that association.


From the Wheelwright, we moved to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. This New Mexico state museum has remarkably informative and thorough exhibits of Native American art from the Southwest: pottery, textiles, baskets, jewelry, history and living.

One gallery has a comprehensive display of Pueblo pottery, explaining differences in style and form, from every Rio Grande pueblo. An entire room was devoted to a temporary exhibit of Santa Ana Pueblo pottery.

Another impressive exhibit explores and explains the history of Native American culture from the B.C. through current times. “Here, Now & Always”, starts with the Mogollon, Hohokam and early Pueblo communities, from the pithouse dwellers to the builders of cliff cities in Mesa Verde and other places in the Southwest. It travels in time to contemporary Indian life - the garments, pottery, basketry, foods and housing – explaining their relationship to the traditions of hunting, farming and family raising, by Indian men and women over the centuries.

Two quotes among the many on the walls struck as particularly poignant. “Pueblo people believe that clay has life. A sacred relationship between the potter and clay begins when the clay is taken from the earth. Before removing the clay, the potter prays to Earth Clay Old lady to be considerate of the needs of her family” is quoted from Santa Clara Pueblo member, Tessie Naranjo. Does this relationship with the infinite have something to do with the way Pueblo pottery reaches out to each of us when we encounter it? We think so.

A second observation that resonated with us was the absence of a word for “art” in Indian language. The exhibit asks the question, can you call something “art” that is part of your life, with soul and spiritual purpose in addition to its functionality? Perhaps, but only secondarily. It reminded us of our long-standing motto at Aboriginals : Art of the First Person - “Before it was art, it was life.” If you ever are in Santa Fe, don’t leave with dedicating a day to the Wheelwright and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

If you stop for a bit of respite, try the Museum Hill café, on the Museum plaza. It proffers a nice selection of sandwiches, soups and beverages (even wine), and an inviting terrace on which to enjoy them. As we sat there, alternately sipping gazpacho and wine, a panoramic cloudscape, almost threatening in its apparent force, made an appearance of the horizon's stage.
Then we noted a huge statue, appearing to represent an Apache Gann dancer, constructed on the plaza. The cloud-scape seemed to become a fitting background for its powerful presence. A power that was beyond the scope even of our meager digital camera.

Visits to Santa Fe seem to be filled with such compelling combinations of the sublime and the awesome.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

Zia Feast Day – No photo, please.

On Tuesday, August 15, 2006 we drove to Zia Pueblo to witness its Feast Day celebration. Susanne and I arrived at the Pueblo a few minutes after 10 am. We parked in the public lot and scaled, yes, scaled a foot-worn path to the top of the mesa. Once there, we visited numerous booths selling Indian jewelry, soft drinks, snow cones, and other trinkets and souvenirs. The white canopies sheltered the vendors from what was to become a warm summer sun, although it started out cool, under an overcast sky.

We followed the sound of a drum to a small plaza area where the drummer, singers and dancers already had assembled and were starting the Corn Dance.

No photos of the dancing are available. Pueblo rules prohibit photography and we always honor the hospitality of our Native American hosts by keeping our camera in its case.

So I will try to describe the scene as we witnessed it.

A single drummer was beating the incessant tempo of a Pueblo song as approximately 30 men in white trousers and ribbon-trimmed shirts, danced in unison with rhythmic, single steps.

In the same plaza area, about 75 Zia men and women of various ages danced to the same single step beat. A respectfully silent crowd of Zia residents and visitors surrounded the area, seated in portable lawn chairs or on the rock walls that defined the space.

The men wore woven, white dance kilts with embroidered panels bearing native designs in red and black yarn. Each male dancer had pine boughs attached to both biceps. Each carried a pink-painted gourd rattle in his right hand, matching his body covered in a pinkish, clay paint. A pine bough was carried in each male dancer’s left hand. A pair of red lines was painted beneath the eyes on each face. A fox pelt was attached to the rear of the waistband of each male dancer. Colorful feather topknots bobbed atop each head as the feet, wearing white-hide boots, fell softly with each step on the sandy soil.

The female dancers were dressed in woven, black, skirted garments, belted at the waist and suspended from a single panel over the right shoulder. Each skirt was embroidered on the right side with a series of colorful geometric and floral designs. Under each skirt, about two inches of slip or petticoat was revealed with colors compatible with the color of the embroidery. Each female carried two boughs of pine, one in each hand. A Native American jewelry broach adorned the bodice on each left side. The dancer’s cheeks were painted with red circles. Tablitas painted turquoise on the front and yellow on the reverse adorned their heads. Each female dancer also wore a necklace made up of strands of turquoise, many with jackclaws of coral or white.

In the circle of the singers and dancers a pole of about 20 feet in height is carried upright. Tall feathers project from the top and a narrow, white banner hangs vertically from the top. Periodically, the pole swings down and in an arc as if to bless the dance.

The single-step cadence continues for about 10 minutes as the dancers weave in and out, males in front of females, females in front of males, face-to-face and side-by-side. Unlike the men, who wear boots, the women dance in bare feet. Each dancer is somber in facial expression and obviously concentrating on the dance. The men periodically shake their rattles in unison, without apparent cues as to timing.

The process and regalia of each dancer is monitored by a set of older dancers, two men and two women, in different attire and ornamentation, with corn husks protruding from their headdresses and painted faces, similar to those of koshares. The senior koshare has long, flowing, gray locks. As dancers have problems keeping their outfits secured, the monitors help reattach them. The monitors also make sure that the dancers are properly aligned.

As this dance ends, the celebrants pause briefly, then resuming the singing and dancing, but this time in a traditional stutter-step or half step reflecting a changed cadence. Other than that, the dance appears to be identical in form to the previous one. After another 10 minutes, the dancers and singers line up behind the drummer and walk to the main plaza.

On the main plaza, an even larger audience waits. Some sit in chairs outside the entrances to the homes that frame the plaza. Some are on roofs looking down on what will be the next dance area. An American flag stands prominently at the end of the plaza, but appears to play no special role in the dances. The dancing starts again in the same sequence, a single-step cadence for about 10 minutes, followed by a half-step cadence of similar length.

At the conclusion of the second dance on the main plaza, Pueblo residents approach the dancers offering candles as gifts, as the dancers and singers move off to private buildings

Shortly thereafter, drumming starts again. A new group of dancers and singers have assembled on the small plaza, similarly adorned, except for different coloration of the males’ rattles and body paint, gray instead of pink.

In essence, the same ceremonial dance is performed in the same sequence, a process that we have been told will continue throughout day, concluding shortly before the sun descends on the Western horizon.

All Pueblos have their Feast days, with dances that celebrate the corn or deer or buffalo that sustained life for these people for generations past. They are one of the most authentic examples of Native American culture in the Southwest.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.

Dinner at Gabriel's near Santa Fe.

Many years ago, one of our favorite stops on the road from Santa Fe to Taos was Las Brazas. It sat high on a rise overlooking the highway to the south and east to the mountains and the Santa Fe Ski Basin.

Today, Las Brazas is gone and the road has been super-sized. Enter Sid Gabriel, former restaurateur from New York City and San Francisco. Gabriel closed his New York and San Francisco versions of Pancho Villa’s restaurants and bought up the former Las Brazas.

Now, Gabriel’s, named for the owner, sits on that same rise, but with significant improvements in just about everything, which we notice as soon as we pull into the parking lot.

The entrance to Gabriel's

Among the improvements, as Route 85/284 became more heavily traveled at interstate speeds, the property converted its vista more to the east, adding a wall and an area with additional seating to enclose the courtyard patio.

The view east from Gabriel's to the mountains.

General Manager, Joe Barrientes, graciously greeted us. We chose a courtyard table, under a large white tent. Barrientes says the tent was added to provide shade, but this year, with numerous storms passing through north central New Mexico, it has become more of an umbrella. We are spared raindrops on the canvas as dark clouds gather all around us, but not overhead.Joe Barrientes, General Manager, poses in front of the art and the fireplace inside.

The restaurant seats about 150 between its comfortable interior and the courtyard. Come September, the tent is taken down and the New Mexico autumn is spent under blue sky and starry heavens. In October, everything moves inside for the winter, as diners gather near the fireplace. A new addition will be opened then to bring capacity back up to 150 guests.

Miguel Moya squeezes a lime as an ingredient in our table-made guacamole.

Our order starts with guacamole made at the table. Miguel Moya, the guacamole master, rolls his cart upto our table, splits avocado and removes the pit and asks what condiments we want included. As we watch, he mixes up an absolutely fresh and tangy bowl of guacamole to accompany our pre-meal salsa and chips.

A couple of glasses of wine help us settle in. Barrientes recommends the Carnetas. Our choices are more traditional chimichangas and chiles rellenos. These classic Mexican dishes are prepared with refritos frijoles (refried beans) and rice, sour cream and guacamole. We loaded up the remnants with the last of our table-made 'guac.'

Our custom-made guacamole meets its natural end.

Barrientes tells us that he has been with Gabriel for 29 years, only the last 13 in New Mexico, having been his manager at Pancho Villa’s in NYC for 16 years before the restaurant operation was moved to New Mexico. Chef Saul Valdiera has been running the kitchen at Gabriel’s since it opened, transferring from the San Francisco Pancho Villa’s.

We, of course, are in town for the annual Santa Fe Indian Market. According to Barrientes, Indian Market weekend is the biggest weekend for Gabriel’s, augmented by the crowds that gather to enjoy the Santa Fe Opera, just down the road. Reservations for Indian Market start to come in around July 4th. Operagoers make up about 50% of the patronage while the season is underway.

Many of them also spend time at the neighboring art gallery that Gabriel opened about two years ago, according to Barrientes. For art, the view, good food and table-made guacamole, we will make Gabriel’s a regular on future trips to Santa Fe.

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Tribal Artery is the blog about tribal art offered periodically by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites at Native-JewelryLink, with gorgeous, genuine American Indian necklaces, bracelets, pendants, pins and earrings; ZuniLink, for hundreds of authentic Native American fetish carvings by Zuni , Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe artists; Tribal Works, offering a wide selection of tribal art from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, the Arctic and Native America, including Navajo folk art, and Native-PotteryLink, home to the finest in contemporary and historic Native American hand-created pottery, storytellers and nativity sets.