Navajo presidential candidates choose running mates

Candidates for president of the Navajo Nation, Lynda Lovejoy and Joe Shirley Jr., have announced their running mates. Each continues the practice of reaching across state lines in hopes of garnering increased support.

Walter Phelps of Leupp, Ariz., will join Lovejoy of Crownpoint, N.M., as she campaigns to become the first woman to lead the nation's largest Indian reservation.

Shirley of Chinle, Ariz., has selected Ben Shelly, a 16-year tribal council delegate from Thoreau, N.M., as he seeks re-election to a second term.

For more information, visit http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/47910.html

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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.

Wilson Romero’s Nativities

This afternoon we visited our friend, Wilson Romero on the Cochiti Pueblo. We were surprised to learn that he had some newly carved nativity sets. Wilson tells that he has had the opportunity to carve in more detail since his retirement from Pueblo business. These sets show it. Each is extremely evocative and includes a full panoply of adorers.
(Above) Three wisemen in sandstone stand watch as Mary kneels in prayer and Joseph stands at her side. Adoring creatures include an antler sheep, two small bears, three rabbits, a cow, a horse a white buffalo, another bear and a mountain lion. Perched on an overlooking rock are an owl and eagle.
(Above) This set includes three wisemen, Joseph, Mary assorted creatures such as a sheep carved from antler, an owl, two small rabbits and one larger one, a horse, two bears, a buffalo and a mountain lion.

Wilson and Annette, his wife, are two of the nicest people we know in the field of Native American art. They are always hospitable and gracious. It always is a pleasure to see them and their art.

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Tribal Artery is the blog from Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites – ZuniLink, for outstanding fetish carvings from the Pueblos of Zuni, Cochiti and San Felipe; TribalWorks, for an assortment of art objects from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, Native America and the Arctic; Native Jewelry Link, for a plethora of gorgeous, authentic Native American Indian jewelry pieces and Native Pottery Link, for a wide selection of the best in Native American Indian hand-made pottery.

The Guest House

Last message we promised a photo of our temporary quarters in this charming guest house. We were unable to come through due to computer glitches. Actually it was camera glitches. Well, got them fixed and now we can show you a photo of the exterior of our charming home-away-from-home.

We also took a trip to the Plaza and walked the world-famous portal. This covered area adjoins the Palace of the Governors. Native American artists are assigned places along the wall to display and sell their goods. The ability to sell there is determined by lots being drawn. So, on any given day, you will find a different mix of artists represented. We’ll return and take some pictures for a future issue of Tribal Artery.

We also ventured into the Mountain Men Show area in the courtyard behind the Palace of the Governors. There were many displays of goods from the Old West – from knives and leather garments to ladies’ gingham dresses and old Indian goods.We’ll try to post some photos, if the computer permits.

One tee-pee even housed the blacksmith.

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Tribal Artery is the blog of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites – ZuniLink, for outstanding fetish carvings from the Pueblos of Zuni, Cochiti and San Felipe; TribalWorks, for an assortment of tribal art objects from Africa, Aboriginal Australia, Native America and the Arctic; Native Jewelry Link, for a plethora of gorgeous, authentic Native American Indian jewelry pieces and Native Pottery Link, for a wide selection of the best in Native American Indian hand-made pottery.

Day One in Santa Fe

We are here. We arrived today and went to our rented guest house. It is several times nicer than the photographs the owner sent to us.

Taos, the greyhound, did okay with patches of distress that passed with time and arrival at our destination. She is now settled in on her bed from home and seems to be content. Surprise was that there are three dogs already in residence here. They greeted Taos and vice versa with great ceremony and total friendship. In fact, Taos seems to have a male friend. Every once in while we hear a scratching at the door and - yep - there he is. It is sure to be platonic since track greyhounds are neutered early on.

Two apologies. First is that we searched last night for a place to stay with wireless internet service. We passed up several suitable places to stop at this one. I won't mention names but after signing on and connecting with their network, we couldn't connect with their server. Turns out it was down and the management failed to tell us until we were checked in and settled in and it was too late to move elsewhere. So that's why there was no blog last night.

Second apology. I took a digital photo of our guest house to share with you. Oooops. I didn't pack the cable to download camera images to the laptop. Tomorrow's #1 task? Get thee to an electronics store and buy download cable. Stay tuned.

Good news. Our press pass has been granted. So we will have some extra opportunities to report on the doings at Indian Market.

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Tribal Artery is the blog medium for Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its allied web sites. Native Jewelry Link, for outstanding Native American jewelry; Native Pottery Link, for authentic Native American pottery; TribalWorks, an assortment of African, Australian Aboriginal, Native Americnaa nd Arctic tribal art works and ZuniLink with hundreds of fetish carvings from Zuni Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo and San Felipe Pueblo.

August 9, 2006 - On the road

We hadn’t even left home before we had a crash. No, not the automotive kind.

Our main business computer decided to crash at about 10 pm on Monday night, just as we were packing to leave. A quick fix was not possible. So our databases are sitting in limbo. We won’t know what can be salvaged until we return.

Fortunately, thank heavens for back up files and back-up computers. Most of the files also were loaded onto the laptop – on which I am now composing – and have since been downloaded to memory sticks for safe storage and eventual transfer back to the main computer.

Anyway, despite the dysfunctioning computer, we departed on time Tuesday morning. The ride was eventful only because of our concern that Taos was comfortable. Each stop led to a redistribution of our cargo to make more space for her. In some ways, although she seems to be traveling well, she is more ocnern than a child. We can’t know for sure if she is content or not. Her appetite seems to have been affected by the stress (or unusual quality of long stretches in the car.)

Our first day was a 10-hour drive with an overnight stop at a pet-friendly motel in Mobile. Thanks to take your pet along for guidance and a directory of such places along the way. When we harvested email last night, there were two messages of special interest. One was from a person who is looking for a piece by Kathleen Wall of Santa Clara. We were able to tell her we will look to see what is available from Kathleen while in Santa Fe. And on our trip to visit our friends at Santa Clara Pueblo. This reminded us that we can do the same for anyone who is looking for something special. Just let us know by email to sanibelart@comcast.net

The seocond was a reminder that the 22nd Annual Mountain Man Fair and Rendezvous takes place at the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe. It starts August 9 and runs through August 13. The notice included a word we had never heard before, “foofaraw”. We’re not sure what it means but we will check it out while we are in “The City Different.” And will report on all the “foofaraw.”

Thanks for stopping by. More to come to morrow. Hasta then.

With Taos to Taos

In two days time, we will depart by Honda Element for Santa Fe. We will be accompanied by our beloved “Taos”, a retired (rescued) greyhound. That's her sitting with Susanne at a recent doggy day on Sanibel Island.

We have anguished over how to handle her transport and lodging en route. Since we will be on the road for three days, we want her to be comfortable, but safe. We started out with a cage, and did a little rehearsal, but that spooked her too much – despite the fact that racing greyhounds are raised in cages.

Then we tried a harness bungied to the sides of the compartment. That spooked her even more. So we decided we would just put her bed on compartment floor and hope for the best.

We were lucky to find a rental in Santa Fe that accepts renters with a dog. And we found an online service, takeyourpet.com that lists motels that allow dogs. So we think we have ourselves – and Taos – handled. Copyright 2006 Aboriginals :Art of the First Person

We will start our blog messages with our first day on the road, assuming some of you might be interested in how it goes.

Once we get there, we have applied for a press pass so that we can get the inside skinny. If that fails, we will give our “man-in-the-street” impressions.
Incidentally, Taos is another charming New Mexico town about one hour north of Santa Fe. We undoubtedly will make a side trip there. It is the home of the oldest continuously inhabited multistory community in North America, the Taos Pueblo. It also was home to a ski lodge that Susanne and I owned, and our son managed, in Taos Ski Valley. We’ll be eager to see what has changed in this town where time moves very slowly.

Also incidentally, if you have any interest in adopting (rescuing) one of these wonderful creatures, take a visit to Second Chance for GreyHounds.org . This is an excellent portal for adoption . I can assure you that you will never have a more docile, loving pet. Or one that bonds more quickly. We have had four over the last ten years.

Watch for our future blogs from Santa Fe Indian Market. You also can visit our websites at ZuniLink and Native American Jewelry. We will have most of that inventory with us and will be able to fulfill from Santa Fe.
Copyright 2006 Aboriginals:Art of the First Person

More than 2 cents worth

A while back we blogged about a USPS stamp series that saluted Rio Grande Hispanic weavings. For some reason, we missed this stamp which was issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 2004. About one hundred million copies of the stamp were printed originally. In January, 2005, the USPS cranked out an additional 2 billion copies – anticipating the need for 2-cent stamps when the 1st Class rate went from 37 cents to 39 cents.

The subject “squash blossom” necklace was photographed from a private collection by Peter T. Furst, anthropologist, author and photographer. The image then was painted by artist, Lou Nolan. That image was reproduced to create the stamp image.

The stamp, part of the Definite American Design series can still be purchased at Post Offices and throught he USPS web store.

Sale Ends; Bargains Continue

Did you take advantage of our 10-day special sale? Lots of people did and saved a bundle.

If you missed it, do not despair. Even without the extra discount, subscribers to our free Tribal Artery email newsletter receive an automatic 10% discount. (See below to sign up for your free subscription.)

The email newsletter is issued about once a week, usually on Sunday, so that you can read it at home on Sunday evening or find it waiting in your email inbox on Monday.

The subject matter is a mix of news about specials and interesting art objects in the Aboriginals Galleries, and reflections on newsworthy events elsewhere in the world of tribal art.

Our communication plan is to provide briefs in the enewsletter linked to expanded discussion in this blog.

Back to the bargains. It is a fact that it costs less to run an online gallery than to staff and pay rent for a physical store. So, when we closed our Sanibel Island physical gallery, we reduced our regular prices on line. Moreover, if you have spent any time in major galleries throughout the Southwest and major cities, you will know that our prices are at least as low if not lower for art objects that are at least as high quality as the competition's inventory.

We also work hard to represent artists whose work is not widely available. For example, Cochiti carvers, Salvador and Wilson Romero, are featured in just a handful of online and offline galleries. Zunilink at Aboriginals in one of those sources. The other is Keshi in Santa Fe. We identify them here because, frankly, if you are looking for a nice Salvador carving, and we don’t have what you want, we would rather have you get it there than go without.

Similarly, we carry carvings by Melvin Sandoval, a member of the San Felipe Pueblo whose wife is Zuni. Melvin’s carvings are unusually smooth and fluid, reflecting a distinctly impressionistic style.

We also carry work by Delbert ChargingCrow, Lakota Sioux, and Andrew Rodriquez, Laguna.

Andrew’s home is Mesita, New Mexico, but he currently lives in Albuquerque. He attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. While there, his mentor was the renowned Allen Houser. He later earned a degree, with distinction, in Fine Arts, from the University of New Mexico.

He works in clay plaques with deep relief and in sculpture, favoring white clay with a stone polished white slip. His plaques characteristically are matte finished in white or bisque. They make stunning wall décor, especially as the day’s light moves across their surfaces, changing the character of the vision as it goes.


We hope to see Andrew, Salvador, Wilson, Melvin and Delbert at Indian Market this year. Watch for our blog messages from Indian Market starting August 12, 2006.

This issue of Tribal Artery, the blog, comes to your from Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, with web sites at Native Jewelry Link, Native Pottery Link, Tribal Works and ZuniLink. We have provided links to individual artists above, in addition to these site links. You may subscribe to this blog by putting us on your feed list or you may subscribe to our email newsletter,
here.

Final Days of Alice Cling and Calvin Begay Sale

August 1st is the last day of our 25% off sale on Calvin Begay Navajo jewelry and Alice Cling pottery (see inset).

Just visit our Pueblo Pottery website and select the Alice Cling, Michelle Williams, Susie Crank or Sue Williams pot you want to purchase and email us or send us the order form witht he appropriate information. Be sure to include the code, "AC25%" in your order. We will respond by email with the discounted price and shipping charge, and work out payment from there.

To purchase a piece of Calvin Begay's beautiful jewelry, visit his pages at our Native American Indian jewelry web site and navigate to oneo his pages. We have Calvin's bracelets, earrings, necklaces, pendants and pin/pendants. All are 25% off if you enter the code, "CB25%" on your order. Our email response will tell you what your cost is after the discount and estimate shipping charges.

Please note that the prices shown on the web site are NOT the prices you will pay during this sale. To determine that for yourself, just deduct 25% of the listed price.

We encourage you to act now. This sale ends in two days. We look forward to hearing from you.

Recent Native American Art Auctions

A recent auction generated some impressive Native Americana sales.

Skinner, a Boston auction house, dropped the hammer on a Cheyenne cradle board from the quarter of the 19th Century for $88,125. A Southern Plains Cheyenne beaded woman's dress of hide dating to the third quarter of the 19th Century sold for $47,000. A mid-19th Century war axe from the Plains Prairie Missouri people realized $44,650. An Apache basket done in polychrome pictorial techniqque with an estimated age of about 100 years (ca 1900) went for $37,600. A polychrome carved wood mask from the Kwakiutl of the Pacific Northwest received a winning bid of $28,200. The auction was held in May, 2006.

We will try to offer more news about auction results in tribal art in future editions of Tribal Artery. Stay tuned by visiting http://www.tribalartery.blogspot.com regularly.

On Authenticity, Antiquity and Aesthetics

The most recent edition of African Arts magazine, published by the James S. Coleman African Studies Center, UCLA International Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Lorenz Homberger and Christine Steizig comment on an exhibition – With the Eyes of an Aesthete: Art from Gabon – at the Volkerkundemuseum der Josefine und Eduard von Portheim-Stiffung in Heidelberg, Germany. They wrote, “…many of the objects shown in Heidelberg are contemporary reproductions and therefore highly problematic to the trained eye. However, a visitor or reader unencumbered by such prior knowledge cannot recognize this.”

The article, which I encourage you to read, goes on to complain that the presence of reproductions constitutes a threat to the field of African art, particularly when presented in art museums, where they might be construed as “authentic antique originals” or, at least, take on the halo of legitimacy from their association with a museum.

Whenever this subject arises, as it does often in at least one African Art discussion group on the internet, I always wonder if there is no place in the world of African art for extraordinarily produced carvings that are less than 50 years old; must the field be limited only to art that can be proven to be antique and “original”?

And what about the proof? Provenance is required to establish the ownership trail back to its original source. Yet, provenances are only pieces of paper and they can be as authentic or false as the persons who present them.

But, in the matter of aesthetics, does it matter if a carving or mask has no provenance but represents an outstanding example of a genre and a true pleasure to eye? Is such an item a “fake”, a favorite term of the “cogniscenti” when referring to such pieces, if they are not presented as antique or valued at the level of pieces proven to have been collected in the 1800s.

Is it not possible to treasure and love and take great pleasure from such pieces regardless of the “authenticity” placed on them by third parties, who frequently have their own egocentric or economic interests in similar pieces.

This is not presented as a defense of “fakes” when they are presented as something they are not. If, however, they are presented fairly, accurately as to provenance and age, and with a money-back return privilege, it seems to me to be reasonable to have and support a market in such items – at prices that are appropriate for the quality, authenticity and age of the item. And art museums would seem to be an acceptable venue for exhibiting them.

What do you think?
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Tribal Artery is the periodic blog of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, a tribal art dealer with web sites at
http://www.TribalWorks.com for African, Australian, Navajo folk art and Arctic art; http://www.Native-JewelryLink.com for Native American jewelry;
http://www.Native-PotteryLink.com for Native American pottery and http://www.ZuniLink.com for animal fetish carvings from Zuni, Cochiti, Navajo and San Felipe. Thank you for your attention and interest.

Scroll down for savings

If you are here to read about the 25% savings during our sale of Navajo pottery and Calvin Begay Navajo jewelry, please scroll down to a previous blog posting. Thank you.

Events at Indian Market 2006

The latest from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWIA) includes a schedule of activities for the two-day Santa Fe Indian Market. All of these activities will take place at the gazebo in the Santa Fe Plaza:

Saturday, 8/19

7 AM --- Official Opening Ceremony

9 AM --- HawkQuest - Educational session about birds of prey

12 Noon --- Honoring Ceremony

12:30 PM --- HawkQuest program repeated

1:40 - 2:10 PM --- Radmilla Cody (Navajo), a Canyon Records recording artist performs

2:30 - 2:50 PM --- Bill Miller (Mohican) trio, two-time Grammy Award winner performs

3:10 - 3:50 PM --- Spirit Wind Pueblo Singers perform with dancers

3:30 - 4:00 PM --- Jemez Senior Singing Group performs

Sunday, 8/20

9 AM --- Native American Clothing Contest

12 Noon --- HawkQuest program repeated

1:40 - 2:10 PM --- Ananeah (Inter-tribal) fusion group performs

2:30 - 2:50 PM --- Shelly Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne) performs

3:10 - 3:30 PM --- Soni of Ulali (Mayan/Apache/Yacqui) performs

3:30 - 4:00 PM --- Moeity (Inter-Tribal) performs

4 PM --- Closing Ceremony and thank-yous from SWAIA

All of these ceremonies and performances are in addition to the other auctions, shows, sales, artist booths and general bustle of the Market.

Please come back to the Tribal Artery blog as we post daily reports from Santa Fe Indian Market. Thank you.

Alice Cling and modern Navajo pottery.

Alice Cling is the daughter of Rose Williams, a ground-breaking potter from Tonalea in the Navajo (Dine’) Nation. Prior to her influence, Navajo pottery was essentially utilitarian with heavy pine pitch coating.

Rose and Alice began the movement toward more refined and finished pottery forms, stimulated by a growing awareness of the market for fine Indian pottery. Whereas tourism, museums and widespread trading drove the pottery of the pueblos, Navajo pottery bloomed primarily under the influence of Alice Cling’s beautiful shapes and softly polished and fired pitch slips.

The clay for Alice’s pots and those of her family including Susie Crank, Sue Williams and Lorraine Williams, comes from the secret deposits near Black Mesa. After being dug up and purified, it is tempered with sand and water, making it malleable.

Alice was born in Cow springs in the mid-40s, graduated from school and married Jerry Cling. Their four children are also potters, carrying on the new Navajo pottery tradition.

Alice’s work, which started out as crude and “ugly”, to use her word, has evolved into bowls, vases and ollas with a warm, red-brown-orange surface, with hints of purple and blooms of juniper fire clouds. The coloration comes in part from the iron content in her slip and partly from the conditions in her outdoor firing pits. After firing, Alice burnishes the pots' surfaces with a smooth stone or stick.

The final product has won numerous Indian market and show awards and is highly prized by Native American Indian pottery collectors, realizing handsome prices for its excellence.

As a salute to Alice Cling and her Navajo cohort, our web site at Native-PotteryLink.com is offering a private pottery sale with 25% off all Alice Cling, Susie Crank, Sue Williams and Lorraine Williams Navajo pottery. To receive this special, limited time discount, you must visit the Navajo pages at our Web site and use the term "AC25%off" when placing your order so we will know that you learned about the sale on our enewsletter blog. The reduction will be taken at the time of purchase.

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Tribal Artery is the periodic enewsletter blog of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person on behalf of its web sites at Native-PotteryLink, ZuniLink, TribalWorks and Native-JewelryLink. Thank you for joining us.

Calvin Begay Sale

Speaking of favorite people and their work, Calvin Begay is near the top for us. Calvin is Navajo and has a style and touch that is unmistakable with fine and precise inlay and channel work in jewelry pieces. Starting as jewelry maker, he has evolved into a designer as well, supervising the manifestation of his ideas at A Touch of Santa Fe. Calvin’s work may be signed by him personally, by one of the members of his atelier or simply stamped with ATF. But they are all Calvin Begay pieces.

For a limited time, one week only, our web site at http://www.Native-JewelryLink.com is offering a private sale discount 25% off of every item of Calvin Begay jewelry to anyone reading this blog post. To take advantage of this private sale, which ends August 1, 2006, you must visit the site and order the item(s) you want to purchase. When you order via email message, be sure to use the term "CB25%off" to identify your authorization for our limited time 25% discount off Calvin Begay jewelry. Thank you.
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Tribal Artery is a regular enewsletter blog published by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person on behalf of its web sites at Native JeweryLink, Native PotteryLink, ZuniLink and TribalWorks.

Wayne Snowbird is back

We received a phone call this week from Wayne Snowbird of Santa Clara. He has been in Nebraska for the past year and now has returned to his studio at Santa Clara Pueblo. His work is the elegant black figurative pottery representing Native American individuals.

Wayne tells us he will be in Santa Fe for Indian Market. We look forward to seeing him.

Winners and losers at IACA Spring Market

The Indian Arts and Crafts Association held its annual Spring Market in Albuquerque in May, 2006, during which it named and honored its nominees for outstanding artists of the year. These winners are listed below.

First, let us recognize that there were losers. They were all of us in the Indian Arts and Crafts movement. We lost long time supporters of the cause in the passing of Betty Numerof, Ruth Scott Kiernan and Dr. Rita Yokoi.

Ruth Kiernan died on March 1, 2006. She was the proprietor of one of the industry’s most respected Indian art trading companies, and was regularly represented at the IACA wholesale shows. Betty Numerof died on April 17, 2006 at the age of 80 and after several successful terms as president of the IACA. Dr. Rita Yokoi, who died on May 24, 2006, was the owner of Silver Hills, a wholesale dealer in Native American jewelry with a specialty in work from the Santo Domingo Pueblo. She also founded the Museum of Native American Jewelry in California. All three of these monumental women represent a huge loss to those who knew them, those who loved them and those who did business with them. We all are lessened by the loss.

Now to the winners, The following artists were recognized by the judges at the IACA Show:

Easel Art – Frank Fowler (First), Frank Fowler (Second), Daniel Ramirez (Third);
Jewelry/Lapidary – Bennard Dallasvuyaoma (First), Michael Kirk (Second), Veronica Poblano (Third)
Jewelry/Metalsmithing – Amelia Joe-Chandler (First), Al Joe (Second), Al Joe (Third);
Katsinas – Alexander Youvella Sr. (First), Alexander Youvella Sr. (Second), Prinston Collateta (Third);
Pottery – Randall Blaze (First)
Sculpture/Large – Upton Ethelbah (First), Ron Mitchell (Second);
Sculpture/Small – Randall Blaze (First), Upton Ethelbah (Second), George Shukata Willis (Third)
Traditional – Rosie Yellowhair (First), Tammy Beauvais (Second), Venus Brightstar (Third).

Best of Show was awarded to Alexander Youvella Sr.
Artist of the Year – Amelia Joe-Chandler.

Congratulations to them all. I’m sure we will see all or most of them at Indian Market next month.

July 16 Tribal Artery message

This Tribal Artery blog reproduces the contents of the July 16th Tribal Artery e-newsletter. With a few corrected links. (Don't ask. )

Major sales of the last month.

We’re pleased to report that some important pieces are heading out to new homes.

Among them is a gorgeous painting by Tasmanian Aborigine, Max Mansell. His rendition of sunset – sunrise gives us a look at the star-filled night sky, home for so many Aboriginal Dreamtime settings, bracketed by the colorful features of nightfall and day break. This acrylic on canvas painting is on its way to Washington D.C. The new owner found us on the Web after learning about the closure of our Sanibel Island gallery. She reported that she had visited the gallery several times and had her eye on this painting. She was disappointed to learn we were no longer there. But she found us on the web as have so many of our regular customers.

In addition, two of our favorite personal collection pieces have found new homes in Miami: a Dan (Cote d’Ivoire) heddle pulley and an Ashanti (Ghana) akua ba. Both were extremely well carved with great esthetic sensitivity. The buyer did a lot of research and determined that the akua ba, while not “antique”, was so well done that a similar piece had been collected by a highly regarded museum. Both pieces had been exhibited at the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art while part of our collection.

Numerous Zuni and Cochiti fetish carvings also have been leaving to new homes. Emery Eriacho, of course, is ever popular and we have dozens of his carvings on site. The work of Salvador Romero and his brother, Wilson Romero, of Cochiti. also don’t gather any dust on our shelves. Both are represented in just one or two other places besides ZuniLink/Aboriginals: Art of the First Person. Both are two of our favorite artists and we look forward to seeing them and acquiring additional examples of there work when ever we can.
We also should mention the distinctive work of Melvin Sandoval, a San Felipe member who’s wife is Zuni. The fluid and impressionistic nature of his work makes almost every piece a feast for the eyes. You will not find his pieces many places beside ZuniLink.

On the jewelry front, we just received a message from a customer to the effect that a pair of earrings had found their way into the washing machine and had been damaged. He asked if they could be fixed. We are more than willing to help. We asked him to send the earrings back to us and we will take them to the artist for repair.

Other news

According to Dionne Walker of the Associated Press, a group of Virginia Indian chiefs will travel to England, to spend a week touring and discussing their history and culture as part of the 2007 commemoration of America's first permanent English colony. For Indians, it's a first step toward healing age-old scars of violence and betrayal. Approximately 60 chiefs and tribal members will make the trip. It will be the first trip to England by an official Virginia Indian delegation in more than 250 years.

Indian leaders will visit Parliament and spend two days lecturing on tribal history to students in grade schools and at the University of Kent. While there, the group also may visit the grave of Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan, the Chief of the Pamunkey Tribe. She is buried in the southeast England region. Englishmen arriving in Virginia in 1607 encountered the Powhatan Nation, headed by Pocahontas’s father, the powerful Chief Powhatan. Pocahontas eventually married an Englishman, John Rolfe, and died while sailing on a return trip to Virginia.There are now about 17,613 Indians in Virginia, according to the U.S. Census, out of a population estimated at 20,000 in the 1600s.

Indian fare at the Fair

One of the staples of the Indian diet – at least at social occasions such as pow-wows and ceremonials is fry bread, When you attend you must trysome. In the meantime, here’s a receipe:
4 cup white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup lard for frying (or your choice of oil)
Mix dry ingredients together. Add warm water to dry ingredients. Knead until dough is soft and elastic and does not stick to bowl. (If necessary, add a little more warm water. ) Shape dough into balls the size of a small peach. Let these sit for 15 minutes. Pat out a bit, pinch edges and then pat back and forth by hand until dough is about 1/2 to 3/4" thick and is round. Make a small hole in the center of the round. Melt lard in a heavy frying pan. Carefully, put rounds into hot fat, one at a time. Brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
This recipe came from Jim Bodle. A Google search will turn up many more variations.

Fry bread can be eaten with toppings like ground beef, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and refried beans, in which case it sometimes is called a Navajo or Indian taco. Personally, we like it with honey and a little powdered sugar or cinnamon.

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Tribal Artery is the name of both the e-newsletter and this blog from Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its associated web sites - Native-JewelryLink, offering top quality American Indian jewelry; Native-PotteryLink, offering superb hand-made pueblo pottery; TribalWorks, offering a wide spectrum of African, Australian,Arctic and Native American tribal art; ZuniLink, one of the Web's largest selections of beautifully carved Zuni, Navajo and Cochiti fetishes.

There is also a blue button to click to sign up for the e-newsletter version of Tribal Artery, if you are interested.You may, of course, unsubscribe at any time.

Corrections and new stuff

In a recent post that listed upcoming events, I omitted the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show, which was this weekend. Arghhhh!

It was, I am told, a very good show. It tends to be overshadowed by Indian Market, less than a month away, in Santa Fe. Yet, I have been to Eight Northern in past years and found it a very satisfying show. It’s lower keyed and has many of the younger artists that have not developed the credentials to show at Indian Market.

For example, Loren Wallowingbull, a Jemez potter, was well represented with examples of her Eagle Dancer pottery figures. She ended up winning the Best in Youth Award at the show. We purchased one of her pieces from her about a month ago in Albuquerque. If I can figure out how to show it in this blog, I will do so. Otherwise, I will provide a link to its page on our web site.

Also as part of our mea culpa, I have to report that some of the links we provided in the calendar either were listed incorrectly or were inactive. We will try amend that bad info here. The schedule for events at Indian market can be accessed at http://www.swaia.org/schedule.php . To volunteer as an Indian Market worker, go to http://www.swaia.org/volunteer.php

I also failed to vet the web address I was given for White Hawks Shows. It is broken. I apologize.

Finally, looking back in the archives of this blog, a found a number of comments that were unsavory. I had left the comment option open so people could freely add their thoughts. Two things happened. First, most of the comments were nothing more than people finding a way to promote their web sites. I really didn’t have a problem with that. But then some of the sites bordered on pornographic. So I have changed the guidelines for comments. They will have to be reviewed and approved by me before being posted on the blog. I am sorry for those who have to go through an extra step to put their two-cents worth in and for those who might have been exposed to the offensive content before I closed it down.

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