Agnes Nahsonhoya

Hopi Potter - Keams Canyon

Agnes was born in Keams Canyon, Arizon and reared on a small ranch in Snowbird Canyon.  She is a Hopi potter and a member of the Bear Clan.  Her family has been working with clay for a very long time.  She has always been interested in art.

The art of Native American pottery making was taught to her by her mother, Pauline Satella, her aunt, Eunice Navasie, and her grandmother, Agnes Navasie. Her most famous aunt is Joy Navasie better known as “Frogwoman.” These elders taught her all the important steps of making clay into finished pottery.  She has been making Native American pottery for 18 years.  She says it has always been a part of her.

In 1992, she entered numerous pots in Northern Arizona’s Hopi Show.  She received her first blue ribbon for a Native American pottery drum, a rare piece.

Her style of pottery has changed through the years, starting with the white slip on natural clay, and then moving on towards the more traditional style of using no slip.  She now mainly does the traditional style.  She thinks it is more beautiful and her grandmother started with traditional.

The clay she uses is found near her home.  Different colors come from clays, mustard weed for black paint which is boiled until it is like taffy, and various stones for red and white.  The clay she mainly uses produces a light peach or red color after firing.  Her coloring instruments are a matchstick end, used for a dotted effect in design, and a thin yucca brush.

Agnes says that “to show proper respect for the clay we need to continue doing it the old way, that means digging our clay, hand-coiling, hand-burnishing and outdoor firing.  I want to continue doing pottery for as long as I live.  I enjoy working with my hands and using my mind to create new and different styles.  I love my work, it gives me enjoyment and pleasure to work with the clay. My teachings and heritage of pottery making continues today in the creations of my children.  From the hands of my mother, to the dampness of the clay, to the smell of the smoke when the pots are fired, I am connected to the clay.”

As a member of the Bear Clan, her trademark is the Bear Claw.