Trujillo, Mary

Mary Tapia Trujillo was the wife of Leonard Trujillo. She was born into Ohkay Owingeh in May 1937. Her parents were Leonidas Cata Tapia and Jose Blas Tapia. Tom Tapia was her brother.

Mary was exposed to every aspect of making pottery as she was growing up but she was never interested until after she married Leonard and moved to his home at Cochiti Pueblo. Then she learned how to make pottery the traditional way from his mother, Helen Cordero. Helen taught her how to make storytellers and other figures.

Mary’s storytellers were quite distinctive in their shapes and facial expressions. She also often included one not-so-happy child among the children perched on the figure. Mary also made singing figures with bows and arrows.

Mary was a participant in the Santa Fe Indian Market for at least 15 years. She garnered enough attention that she earned a Lamon Scholarship to the School of American Research for 1990-91. She and her husband, Leonard, made storyteller figures together beginning in the early 1980s and continuing until he died in 2017. Sadly, Mary passed away in April 2021.

Mary and Leonard’s storytellers have found their way into prestigious places like the Heard Museum and the School for Advanced Research.