Pahponee
Kickapoo &
Potawatomi
Buffalo Nation
4 3/4"
H x 6" D
Pahponee has been working
with clay since the early 1980's. She is a descendant of the
Kickapoo and Potawatomi Nations, originally from the Great Lakes.
Her Kickapoo name, "Pahponee" translates into Snow
Woman.
Pahponee is a self-taught
clay artist who has re-learned the traditional pottery methods
of her woodland culture as well as learning contemporary pottery
making techniques.
The inspiration for Pahponee
to learn about pottery making came from a life changing experience.
She was taken to see a White Buffalo mother and her White Buffalo
calf. White Buffalo are sacred to Native people. It was an auspicious
occasion for her to be in their presence. After their meeting,
Pahponee had a dream about a White Buffalo pottery vessel. She
would keep dreaming of this one specific pot and other beautiful
pots, but she did not know how to make them.
Pahponee decided to learn
everything she could about pottery making. Her husband Greg,
a trained ceramacist, encouraged and advised her with some of
his contemporary technical knowledge. She spoke with her Kickapoo
and Potawatomi elders and listened to the knowledge they imparted.
Pahponee spent years experimenting
with hand-dug clay and commercial clay as well as primitive outdoor
dung firing and contemporary kiln firing. The first several years
were rough, until she began to develop a better understanding
of the rhythm of earth, water, fire and air. Her experimentation
and research has resulted in technical excellence in clay properties,
tools, hand building, and firing techniques.
Whether hand coiling, hand
throwing on the potters wheel, firing with dung, or in the kiln;
it takes an artist with discipline and skill to bring the work
to life. Mastering several pottery techniques has provided the
platform for Pahponee to create distinctive pottery that expresses
her own personal style and innovative spirit.
