Indian Art Of The Pueblos (1976)

[Music] [Music] here in the southwestern United States are the most ancient settlements of the nation the Indian pblos some of these have been occupied continuously for over a thousand years today there is still a culture here that reflects the life of the original settlers in this culture work of art are not produced merely for display these objects are created to be used in daily life artists and Craftsmen here continue to use the traditional materials forms and symbols of their ancestors the Arts and Crafts still flourish today in some of these pblos from the pblos of the Rio Grande in the East to the Mesa toop Villages of the Hopi in the west the peblo peoples share a common bond with ancestors who once mastered this land wealthy the sacred Hopey peblo where that link to the past is continued through the Timeless rituals in the keas and through art forms that are an expression of the Indians life during a dance women watch while men impersonate kachinas representations of the spirit world presents are given to Children dolls and rattles on the surfaces of ceremonial rattles are painted intricate decorations bold designs symbolic of rain corn and harvest thunder and lightning all so important to a people whose lives are dependent on a good crop symbols of life dominate ceremonial objects from the masked dancers the children receive a most important present during the ceremonies Kachina dolls which provide religious training from these dolls carefully carved from the roots of cottonwood trees the children learn the history and symbols of over 200 Spirits the cachas are the Divine beings that mediate between man and gods when a dancer wears the kacina mask he is believed to receive the spirit of that Kachina through him prayers are carried to the gods asking for rain and for the well-being of the people this shalako Mana is an example of early Kachina art feathers are attached to the ends of an ornate headdress bearing Terrace designs of rainclouds shalako cachinas represent the giant couriers of the rain makers Messengers from men to Gods some cachinas mock the bad behavior of aing villagers the fierce ogre cacina persuades children to improve their conduct mudhead clowns appear between the dances their games a welcome relief from the solemn rituals every design has an exact meaning that is carried on from generation to generation the sash of this hus cacina precisely reflects the details Craftsman weave into ceremonial garments the belts on the dolls perfectly record the woven designs the hopy men also weave for other peblo using looms and tools developed over centuries the Indian Craftsman Works long hours to recreate the symbols of his forefathers silver work is usually thought of as an ancient craft actually it is one of the most recent to be adopted in the southwest many pieces are produced in commercial numbers but the finest pieces are unique the work of Craftsmen Zuni jewelry is known for its high standards of workmanship in stone turquoise is set into silver to form clusters emphasis is on Stone rather than silver sea shell and stone inlaid in silver form a shalako Mana a reminder of the Zoni reverence for their kacina in contrast a seashell from San IL defonso reflects the design of prehistoric inlay jewelry basket making is the oldest of Indian crafts a basket maker must know not only how to weave but how to gather Harvest and prepare the material she needs the hopy women are the most skilled artists practicing this craft and produce the widest variety of designs and shapes this mudad clown is surrounded with symbols of harvest baskets are made for trade and decoration in Pottery the Indian expr expresses himself best pottery making flourishes in many of the peblo each displaying its own distinctive and traditional style the thinnest Pottery is made in Akuma the akoma Potter decorates her vessels with sweeping curves and angular shapes some are purely geometric While others include flowers and plants another distinctive AKA design is a stylized bird with a dominant rainbow arch the bird a parrot-like form has a curved beak and long tail in contrast Santo Domingo pottery is open in design The Irregular triangles are shaped to create forms against the cream colored background cooch Pottery is recognized by its abundance of water symbols bubble-shaped clouds thunderheads and lightning bolts Express the wish for rain the Hy use of color and coordination of design distinguish their pottery from that of any other peblo the warm colors are produced from the varieties of clay found near their Villages an old hopy Bowl features a single image that of the PO Mana the butterfly Maiden the design of a sunflower dominates a zi water jar deer are painted to bring luck in hunting a waterb bird expresses the hope that the jar will never be empty the most characteristic design of a Zoni life form is a deer with a red line running from its mouth to the heart each peblo respects the design of the others and may not use them except by permission as in this AKA version of the zi deer in the past the Potters themselves were unknown today they are respected artists blue corn potter of San elanso enjoys widespread Fame her work is represented in collections and museums around the world Hobie Potter Joy Nasi is famous for her white pottery she has perfected her exacting techniques over a span of 40 Years also known as the Frog woman she signs her pots with the image of a frog a mark she proudly inherited from her mother the signatures of Lucy Lewis the feather woman from akoma Min from Santa Clara and Elva npeo aopi are also well known these are some of the women that have helped change the image of the Indian as a maker of cheap curiosity items misunderstood and overlooked in the past these American artists today provide an incredible creative Force carrying their cultural heritage into the future oh