Kathy Wan Povi Sanchez

Kathy Wan Povi Sanchez a fourth-generation Tewa traditional potter from San Ildefonso Pueblo in northern New Mexico was well nurtured by matriarchal ancestors Maria and Julian Martinez. Not only was she nurtured in the art of the distinctive black ware pottery, but also in modeling the heart centeredness, the lived narrative of generational wisdom sharing, seeing the world from a holistic lens envisioning how a beloved community can be dreamt and become possible.  

In the mid-1980’s, Elder Kathy begun to document the lived narratives of her, Wan Povi’s matriarchal linage. Suddenly, with the loss of her Great Aunt Mella who raised her, life took another turn. Then in the late 1980’s, a tribal women support group started to blossom as Tewa Women United. It was a collective system of supportive wisdom sharing and empowered women.

Elder Kathy reminds us that “As long as we protect the seeds of life, we shall never perish”.