Namingha, Lillian

“This is all I do now after I quit working as a secretary for 30 years, and I really enjoy doing it!”

Lillian Namingha was born into the Hopi-Tewa world in 1941 to Emerson Namingha and Rachel Namingha Nampeyo. She was a sister of Priscilla Namingha Nampeyo, Dextra Quotskuyva and aunt of Rachel Sahmie, Nyla Sahmie, Jean Sahmie, Steve Lucas and Les Namingha.

Lillian’s work was always very similar to that of her famous great-grandmother, Nampeyo of Hano – in the Sikyátki-Revival style. Lillian, though, didn’t really make any pottery until after she retired from the work-a-day world.

After high school she served 4 years in the US Marine Corps. Then she worked 30 years as a secretary. It was after retiring from that that she began to enjoy the relaxation that making beautiful hand-made pottery the ages-old way brings.