Our group arrived in Santa Fe yesterday afternoon and immediately headed to the historic Santa Fe Plaza and Governor’s palace to explore the Native American Artisans Market. There, Native American jewelers, sculptors, carvers, beaders, and leatherworkers gather to sell their work. We had the unique opportunity to talk to many of the artisans about their various crafts and the many symbols featured in their works. While I strolled through the market, I talked at length with a Navajo woman who makes copper guitar picks and jewelry. She explained the meaning behind the symbols that she commonly etches on her pieces such as fish, the sun, and corn. In Navajo culture, fish represent water, which is considered an extremely important symbol for all Native Americans. Since New Mexico is such an arid state, water is considered especially sacred and symbolizes life. The sun symbol is the featured on the New Mexican state flag and holds several different meaning such as the four seasons, the four directions, and the life cycle. Corn is a staple in Native American life and, according to this particular artisan, is commonly featured in art as a symbol of new beginnings. It was very interesting to learn how important these symbols are to Native American culture and later see them used in the pieces at the New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts!
Olivia
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