The Pueblo of Picuris / Pikuria
Those Who Paint
Picuris Pueblo is well known for its micaceous pottery, made from a local clay that contains mica. The source of the Mica, a shiny silicate that forms in thin sheets is found in areas of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In the 1950's the Picuris people were banned from gathering the micaceous clay after the area become a private mine. The Picuris Pueblo lost two court cases and feared that they could lose their pottery-making tradition forever. The Pueblo organized protests and received media attention, along with mica prices dropping in late 2004, and early 2005, the private mining company, Oglebay Norton, was ready to sell. The pueblo purchased the mine on April 25, 2005 with funding from the Tribal Government and the Lannan Foundation. The Pueblo of Picuris, under the Abandoned Mines Act, is working to fully restore the area. Along with the reclamation work of the mine, the traditional , time honored art of micaceous pottery has been revived by allowing access for clay gathering.
