Tafoya, Emily

Emily Tafoya, of Santa Clara Pueblo, was the wife of Ray Tafoya and mother of Jennifer, Leslie, Michelle, Brandon and Michael Tafoya. She had been born Emily Suazo, of mixed Santa Clara and Kiowa heritage but raised at Santa Clara. She said she was inspired by several family members to make pottery, including her maternal grandmother, Clara Suazo.

Emily learned the basics and started making her first pieces when she was about 14, but her education and experience really accelerated after she married Ray Tafoya. While Ray was alive, Emily made the pottery that he incised and painted, then fired. He taught her his entire process before he died. After that, Emily carried on on her own, making the pieces, decorating them and firing them by herself.

Emily was a participant in Santa Fe Indian Market for a number of years, earning multiple ribbons there for her pottery. She mostly made green-slipped and brown-slipped seed pots and miniatures. She also made some sgraffito blackware. Her favorite designs included clouds, water symbols, flute players, insects, toads, fawns, cats, hummingbirds and eagles.