Illuminating Dispatches Newsletter
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Illuminating Dispatches Newsletter - July 27: The Heartline
Read more →Exploring the Heartline: The Origin. One of the many delightful details that some Zuni fetishes may have is the heartline. This feature is often inlaid in turquoise or coral, and its meaning goes back to the creation of the first fetishes.The Zuni People (A:shiwi) say that their human ancestors emerged onto Earth after passing through the Levels of Emergence, which were a series of fourwet and chaotic underworlds. When they finally surfaced on this dry earth there were already powerful animals living here. These animals preyed upon the People, since they were naked and defenseless in this new world, and the People cried out to Great Spirit, the Creator of all,...
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Illuminating Dispatches Newsletter - June 13th: Clay Week
Read more →In Celebration: Zuni Pottery, National Clay Week June 13th - 19th A rich and complex history, the Zuni tradition of ceramics is one that has existed for millennia. Producing both functional and ceremonial vessels, Zuni potters traditionally dug their own clay and produced their own paints all from the local soil and plants, intrinsically tying the colors of their pots to their home. But by the middle of the last century, potting became a dormant art form, giving way to jewelry-making, which was the main support of the Zuni economy. Reviving the process has been a fifty-year journey, led by...