We are celebrating my mother's, Cora Lee Phillips, 81st birthday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She and I had a grand adventure here over forty years ago when we attended an "Up With People" conference. All I remember is that it was Christmas time, there was a foot of snow on the ground, the luminaria bags lining the streets, the heatless motel room we stayed in, sleeping in the same bed with my freezing feet under her legs - and peeling what seemed like thousands of shrimp in the basement of one of the stucco churches to feed the attendees. Santa Fe was a quaint, tiny village at the time. So much has changed, yet so much remains the same. She remembered the Plaza where the people from various Indian Nations lined the sidewalk, huddled with their silver, turquoise, pots and blankets. After a delicious champagne breakfast of huevos rancheros with green chile, we explored those same sidewalks.
At first approach, the image was similar to our past experiences, of old and young people from various tribes. However, much of the jewelry looked as though it may have been mass-produced in a factory somewhere far off and shipped in to be sold on the street at a percentage of sales to the vendor.
Regardless, we were thrilled to meet a wonderful painter named Ronald Chee. His work honors his heritage and yet is original and modern. I love his colors and approach. I've included a link to his web-site for further exploration.
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