Sunday, August 20, 2006

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.