Setalla, Pauline

Pauline Setalla was born in the village of Mishongnovi (on Hopi Second Mesa) in 1930. After she married Justin Navasie of Sichomovi (on Hopi First Mesa), she moved to his family’s ranch in Snowbird Canyon (near Keams Canyon) and lived in a home he and his father had built for her. It was very simple: no electricity, no running water, no automatic heat or cold. Light came from a kerosene lantern and a Coleman lamp, water from the family well in the yard and heat from the wood stove in the kitchen and the coal stove in the center of the house. They raised ten children there.

Pauline learned to make pottery from Justin’s mother, Agnes Navasie, beginning around 1954. She mostly made black-and-red-on-white jars and wedding vases and black-and-red-on-yellow canteens. Her favorite designs seem to have been parrot wing and tail feathers, bird tracks, feathers, clouds and spiral Water Clan designs.

Pauline taught all her children to make pottery but only Gwen Setalla, Agnes Nahsonhoya, Justin Setalla, Stetson Setalla, Dee Setalla and Karen Namoki have become well-known for theirs.