ADVENT CALENDAR 2022

The Holy Family wear clothing with traditional Pueblo designs, in white, brown, and tan. They stand in front of an adobo wall with wooden beams. Three animals accompany them.

Nativity made from clay and natural pigments by Yolanda Toya Toledo, Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, 2009. Glencairn Museum collection, Bryn Athyn, PA. To view a zoomable version of this Nativity on Google Arts & Culture, click on the image.

19. JEMEZ PUEBLO INDIAN NATIVITY

There are 19 Pueblos in New Mexico, all of which are linked by common history, culture, and traditions. European influences brought many changes to the Pueblo Indian way of life, with most of the residents accepting Christianity as an addition to their own pre-Christian traditions. Today a number of Pueblo Indian artists make Nativities, along with other works such as the famous ceramic storyteller figures. Pueblo culture is rich with myths and stories, which are used to convey traditions and values. Both the storyteller figures and the Nativity figures have an open mouth in order to “let the stories out.”  

Yolanda Toya Toledo specializes in making storytellers, Nativities, angels, and Christmas ornaments. She and her seven sisters are continuing the legacy of their mother, the renowned Jemez Pueblo potter Mary Ellen Toya, and their grandmother, Carrie Loretto of Laguna Pueblo. Using traditional Pueblo methods, Yolanda digs her clay on the Jemez Reservation, uses natural pigments, and fires her pottery outdoors.

Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2022 Advent Calendar.