Polacca, Vernida

Vernida Polacca was born into Hopi-Tewa society at the IHS Keams Canyon Hospital in February 1955, the daughter of Harold Polacca, Sr. and Alice Polacca (an Apache woman). Among her siblings are Clinton Polacca and Reva Polacca. She grew up learning how to make pottery from her father and her grandmother, Fannie Nampeyo. She became active in the marketplace when she was still in her teens.

Vernida likes to make mostly seed pots, black-and-red on yellow and black-and-red on white. Her favorite designs include eagle tail feathers, the migration pattern design and negative stars. She generally stays within the style and design vocabulary made famous by her great-grandmother, Nampeyo of Hano.

Vernida’s son, Jeremy Adams, learned how to make pottery from her as he grew up and he’s also become an award-earning potter.