Nativity Scenes and Santa Claus

Indian Christmas Art Southwest Santa Claus

It was on our minds last year when my husband, Jerry, had his brilliant idea. As Michael Martin Murphy sang “Two-Step 'Round the Christmas Tree,” Jerry and I, with our kids and grandkids, removed ornaments from boxes to decorate our tree. I hung a tiny Hopi drum and a colorful rattle on a fragrant branch, then reached for a small leather star adorned with beads, a handmade gift from Santa Clara potter Rosemary “Apple Blossom” Lonewolf.

“You know what might be fun?” Jerry suddenly asked. (In our business, the motto is: If it isn't fun, don't do it!) “Most people have no idea that American Indian artists make such great Christmas decorations. Maybe we should do a story about that.” The more we talked about it, the more excited we became. At that point, only the two of us had agreed the idea was brilliant, but we decided to go to work on it with or without an assignment.

The Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market had just gotten under way about midDecember in Phoenix' South Mountain Park. As we made the rounds, we were amazed at the abundance of Christmas items we found. A gorgeous corn husk wreath was the first thing that caught my eye, but we also saw several pottery Nativity scenes with Indian figures and some small pottery angels. We discovered various kinds of ornaments: glass balls painted with Kokopellis, others made of pottery, and brightly painted kachinas.

Jerry made arrangements with several artists to bring their decorations to our home so he could photograph the pieces in his studio. They graciously agreed, and Christmas art of all kinds began arriving at our door, including an entire Christmas tree covered with the small flat kachina orOrnaments made by husband and wife Hopi artists Anderson and Berna Koinva.

MARK SILVERSMITH, NAVAJO (Preceding panel, pages 18 and 19) “Christmas Homecoming,” a 15by 22-inch watercolor, depicts a man and his son returning home on Christmas Eve from a visit to the trading post. The man's wife and daughter, eager to see what presents might be tucked among the supplies, wait to greet them.

MARGIA GHAHATE, ZUNI This 34-inch-long replica of Santa and his reindeer, including red-nosed Rudolph, is composed of thousands of beads. The antlers were carved from chicken bones. COURTESY HEARD MUSEUM GUILD INDIAN MARKET AND FAIR

DAVID DRAPER, NAVAJO

Navajos, accompanied by their farm animals, gather around the manger to pray and pay homage to the Christ child in this Nativity scene carved from cottonwood root.

JACQUELINE HERBERT, NAVAJO

The fanciful also comprises Navajo holiday art as this 61/2-inch-high wood carving decorated with candy canes illustrates.

COURTESY TWIN ROCKS TRADING POST, BLUFF, UTAH

ANNIE BENALLY, NAVAJO

A stylized Kokopelli, the flute player who carries a bag of seeds for planting, decorates this glass ball ornament.

ANDERSON AND BERNA KOINVA, HOPI

Kachinas and other characters and symbols familiar to Hopis provided the inspiration for these wooden ornaments that will hang from a Yuletide tree.

JESSIE MALONE, NAVAJO

Sheep are common sights in Navajo country, and this mud and wool figure exemplifies a typical folk art hanging ornament.

BERNICE NEZ, NAVAJO

Santa and his eight reindeer pay a visit to Navajoland in this 31by 39-inch weaving. Unspun angora wool was used to form Santa's beard.

ROBIN TELLER, ISLETA PUEBLO

Wild animals and Native Americans in traditional dress are the themes of this pottery Nativity scene.

ALFRED LOMAQUAHA, HOPI

A Koshari Clown wearing a Santa hat struggles with a stubborn mule laden with Christmas gifts in this cottonwood root carving.

Once we actually had the assignment, we went to work with artists and dealers in earnest. From his shop in Sedona, Dan Garland sent a Navajo rug with Santa soaring through the sky. Steve Cowgill shipped a kachina carving from Taos. Steve Simpson of Twin Rocks Trading Post in Bluff, Utah, shipped an assortment of Navajo folk art: sandstone carvings, wood carvings, and "mud toys." Acoma potters Darrell and Donna Chino, who sold all their ornaments at the Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market before we could borrow them, made new ones and sent them to us. Navajo artist Elsie J. Joe sold out at the Litchfield Indian Market in January, but she made new figurines and ornaments just for our project. Margaret Pooyouma, the Hopi who made the gorgeous corn husk wreath at the Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market, had promised to bring it to be photographed if it didn't sell. She called later to say that someone had bought the wreath, but she did tell them Jerry would like to photograph it. It turned out that the purchasers were friends of ours, Dr. Jim Koenig and his wife, Betty, of Mesa, who were more than willing to lend it to us. I never knew to just what lengths Jerry might go to get the photos he wants. I found out this time. Going out onto our front patio, I discovered that the old carved Mexican doors at the entryway were missing. I wondered when and how someone had managed to steal them. I didn't wonder for long. I found that the "thief" had removed them from their hinges and taken them into his studio to use as a background for the corn husk wreath. We had a wealth of art from which to choose, much more than we could possibly feature in the magazine. But don't take our word for the wonderful Christmas art that is created by American Indians. Go to some of the shows and markets and see for yourself. The Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market is especially good as it is held just before Christmas. I'm sure you'll find at least one piece that you absolutely cannot resist. I always do. In fact every time Jerry photographed a group of ornaments, I bought one or two from the artist. He says it's a good thing that doing this article was fun because by the time I got through buying, we didn't make any money on it. It was fun and, personally, I think he had a brilliant idea.