Maria Matinez

Maria Martinez: Native American Pottery Maker of San Ildelfonso I really enjoyed watching the Maria Martinez short film. Prior to this movie, I never really thought about what the Natives and people back in history used to make pottery. After watching this film, I learned how creative the Native Americans actually were. I found the method that Maria used to make pottery very interesting. It was very cool to see her gather her own clay from nature and mix it with red and white sand. She then poured water into a pool of clay and wedged it together very delicately. It was so fascinating to see how Maria and her son fired their pottery. As they stacked their ceramic pieces in a pit, they used metal to trap the air and keep the heat in. This complicated process looked so easy to Maria and her brother. They had to use intensive care when dealing with the firing, and it was always a gamble for them on how their pots would turn out. I was very surprised when their red clay pots turned black after the firing. You could just tell how experienced the two of them were and how passionate they both felt about ceramics. Maria took great pride in the spirits and was always thanking them. She looked to nature for help and always found her tools in the environment. She is very creative when it comes to decorating and uses so many unique techniques. At age 85, it is very impressive to see Maria kneeled down on the ground and kneading her clay so quickly. She is extremely gifted in the arts and has a true talent for making pottery. I thought it was very interesting when she told us that she did not learn how to make clay form her mother, it was her aunt instead that taught and influenced her. I think it is very neat how Maria did not have much schooling and her pottery today is so famous and sold for millions of dollars.