Jonathan Loretto

Ada Suina–Storyteller of Cochiti Pueblo

Stories are a vital resource in the teaching and continuation of tribal life. I would like to introduce you to my auntie, Ada Suina. She is in her nineties and still does her best to create figurines. Auntie Ada grew up in the village of Cochiti (Kotyit), and her life has revolved around her family and all the traditional ceremonies that still take place to this day. She is fluent in her tribal language. I was given the opportunity to ask Auntie Ada a few questions:

JL: Who inspired you to make storytellers?
AS: My mother-in-law, Ariella Suina, and cousin Virginia Naranjo.
JL: How old were you when you started working with clay?
AS: [It was] 1975. [Ada was born in 1930, so she would have been forty-five when she started.]
JL: Do you make other figurines?
AS: I started with little animals like frogs, lizards, and owls. I also made little bowls and pots.
JL: What advice do you have for the younger generations wanting to work with clay?
AS: Try to get back to the old ways, working with traditional materials.

I completely understand Auntie Ada’s request in response to my last question. When I visit museums, I like to look at the older work made using traditional materials and techniques. Working with clay has almost become a lost art because mainstream society has such a big influence on the younger generations, pressuring them to “get jobs” and learn how to use computers. When I look at the pots, bowls, storytellers, and other figurines of our ancestors, I hope, too, that the traditions of our clay work will always live on through the younger generations.