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Mary Ellen Toya |
Jemez Pueblo |
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Nativity |
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much larger |
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Signature |
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Similar nativities by Mary Ellen Toya
About Mary Ellen Toya:
Mary Ellen Toya and her seven sisters are carrying on the legacy of their mother, renowned Jemez Pueblo potter Mary Elizabeth Toya, and their grandmother, Carrie Loretto of Laguna Pueblo. Perhaps the best known of the sisters, Mary Ellen Toya has earned awards for her Nativity figures at Santa Fe Indian Market. With eyes prayerfully closed, the figures are masterfully painted in Jemez-style clothing and designs.
The Toya sisters’ creation of Nativity sets reflects a longtime practice at Jemez Pueblo of melding Christian and ancient Native traditions, especially around the birth of Jesus. Each year a Pueblo home hosts a live Nativity scene for two weeks, with traditional dances and food. “I love making Nativity sets because they talk about God,” Toya reflects. “We really are grateful for what we have here in Jemez.”
(Taken from
this source.)
See also this nativity.