HeChan di Taa (Greetings, Good Day), my name is Jordyn ‘Puweh Tsay’ Atencio, from Ohkay Owingeh and Santa Clara Tewa speaking Pueblos; located in northern New Mexico. I am a seventh generation potter from the family potter Serafina Tafoya, of Santa Clara Pueblo. Since I was born, I have always been around potters. My Grandma Cristine Kay Atencio and family were all potters working and living in the heart of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo were many artists came to visit and share their ideas and techniques. I started making pottery with my grandmother, Sharon Naranjo Garcia, who is a traditional Santa Clara Pueblo potter. She taught me the processing and techniques that have been passed on in our family throughout every generation, which is the traditional process going back to our early ancestors. We gather, process, and mix our own clay, shape the pottery using hand coils, polish with smooth river stones, and finish the pots in an open outdoor fire.
Although the majority of my family make Santa Clara pottery, I make Ohkay Owingeh pottery. I chose to do so because there are very few active potters, making me one of the youngest who is still carrying it on today. I think it is very important to try and revive this significant art of Ohkay Owingeh because it is tied to many of our traditional practices and defines who we are as a people.