Helen Naha, 1st Featherwoman

Hopi

Helen Naha in her studio

Helen Naha (1922-1993) was the first Featherwoman. She was a daughter-in-law to Paqua Naha (First Frogwoman) and sister-in-law to Joy Navasie (Second Frogwoman). Between Helen and Paqua, two modern dynasties in the Hopi pottery world were born. Helen's son Burel, daughters Rainy and Sylvia and granddaughter Tyra are recognized potters on their own.

Helen was mostly a self-taught potter but she did get a few tips from watching the in-laws. She began making pottery around 1945 but it was about six years before any of her pots began to sell. At first she was copying Joy's Sikyátki Revival designs but soon decided that didn't work for her. Then she began to develop her own style of pottery and in contradistinction to the designs that came from the diggings in the Sikyátki area, many of Helen's designs came from pot sherds found in the ruins of Awatovi, a village that was destroyed shortly after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

Her hallmark style was hand-coiled, highly polished pottery with a white slip and black and red decorations. She is the modern originator of the Awatovi star and bat wing patterns. Helen also signed her pots with a stylized feather symbol. Her descendants have signed their pots with their own versions of that feather ever since. The Naha and Navasie families are probably the primary producers of Hopi whiteware (also known as Walpi Polychrome) today.

Helen was recognized by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts through the creation of the Helen Naha Memorial Award, to be given for Excellence in Traditional Hopi Pottery.