Zuni carver Jamon takes
blue ribbon honors

Michael Jamon of Zuni carved "The coming of the Ancient Gods from the Spirit World." The carvings were at the 18th Annual Zuni Festival at the Museum of Northern Arizona [courtesy photos]

By Ernie Bulow
For the Independent

FLAGSTAFF — The Zunis are still very sensitive about selling their katsina dolls because of the religious significance of the figures. Zuni dolls are relatively scarce, but there are several carvers currently working for sale. In modern times only the Hopis and Zunis carve katsina dolls.

Though many Hopis have long since departed from any tribal or “folk” type carving, moving the dolls into the arena of fine art, Zunis have stayed with a more traditional style.

There weren’t a lot of carvings featured at the recent Zuni Festival at the Museum of Northern Arizona, but the prize-winning Shalako set by Michael Jamon was spectacular. He titled the set, “The Coming of the Ancient Gods from the Spirit World.” Shalako is, of course, the huge winter public appearance of important Katsinas which ends and begins the Zuni ceremonial year. The actual Shalako figure itself is ten feet tall and very impressive. He is accompanied by a group of katsinas known collectively as “the Council of the Gods”, which includes a number of participants.

Jamon’s group of figures included the Long Horn and his partner Eototo, the Yamuhaktos and the warrior Salamopias. Two Koyemsi (mudheads) and Shulawitsi, the Little Fire God, are also in the group. Jamon included the alternate Shalako who goes unmasked. What really made Jamon’s dolls outstanding was his attention to detail.

Like the Hopis, Zuni carvers use the soft, light root of the cottonwood tree for their creations. Another distinctive aspect of A:shiwi koko (katsina dolls) is the Zuni preference for dressing the figures rather than just painting on the details—leather kilts, furs, moccasins, beads and feathers. Michael even puts tiny moccasins on his dolls. Jamon couldn’t make it to the Flagstaff show so I interviewed him at his home in the village.

Mike is a delightful person to speak with; humorous and candid and outgoing. He seemed to be genuinely surprised that his carvings had won first-place awards. Things have not been going well for Jamon in recent years and he is currently wheelchair-bound, the aftereffects of a near-death experience in a car wreck.

Though Michael Jamon has been making dolls for twenty years he is not a prolific carver and few of his pieces are sold through local traders. Like many Native craftspeople Mike prefers to deal directly with his customers, getting to know them a bit. On occasion he has sold pieces through the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

“That Shalako set took me five years from start to finish to complete,” he said. “I felt like finishing the dolls was something I had to do, but so much was happening in my life at the time.”

His mother added an odd observation.

“Sometimes he would take out the unfinished dolls and just look at them. He’d look at them for hours,” she said.

Certainly these particular carvings were more personal to him than his usual work. When he found out the Zuni show was going to be held again at the Museum of Northern Arizona he pushed day and night to finish the set in time to get them entered.

Mike lives with his mother where he was working on a sculptural piece. Using the form of a traditional corn-meal bowl which is used to bless the spirits as a base, Jamon visualizes a corn plant rising from the shallow pot. But instead of ears of corn he will carve katsina faces. It sounded both interesting and ambitious.

Michael and his family wanted to know how big the ribbon was so they would know where to put it. The first-place award was quite impressive. When asked if he was going to carve more dolls he just grinned. “Talk to me,” he said.