Beadwork, moccasin, seamstress, and pottery

Daanzho, my name is Shirene Antone,
I was born and raised in Dulce, New Mexico.

My tribes include the Jicarilla Apache Nation and a tad of the Navajo Nation. I am a bead worker and a seamstress.

I am a part of the Ollero or white clan. I lived in Dulce until 1999. I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico until 2014 then I returned home. I returned home for my daughter, who was the Stonelake Powwow Princess. My daughter asked if we could stay in Dulce. I applied for the job at the Jicarilla Cultural Arts and Heritage Center and got it. I’ve been working at the Jicarilla Cultural Arts and Heritage center for nine years.

Moccasins, depending on the size, I prep for in the morning what I’m doing like taking out supplies, measure, cut out the pattern, pre punch the sole holes. That takes about two-three hours. I could have a whole infant moccasin done in a day with no interruptions. Beaded Barrette’s, medallion depending on how technical the design could take me three to five days. The amount of time it takes to complete a project can vary depending on how big a project is, a keychain, I can have it done in two days start to finish. The longest project I have ever completed here could take me a week to two weeks. I work on several projects at a time like an assembly line. I like working at the Cultural Arts and Heritage Center, I love what I do. Before I worked here I did it at home in my free time. It’s a part of my soul, heart, and mind.
I used to watch my grandma sew. I loved watching my grandma sew especially when she would rip the fabric into a straight line.

Pottery has only been since working her with Shelden Nunez-Velarde. Since I was a child, I would watch my family do there crafts. I became a mom myself and my kids wanted to powwow dance. Having my own kids encouraged me to do large scale projects like the full Powwow regalia. When I became a grandma, my grandkids watch me do the crafts.

The traditional arts I know is bounteous. I know how to start a basket I know what type of material to look for, sewing, it could range from a Jicarilla dress to ribbon shirts, traditional shawls, I can do a whole male Jicarilla feast Brave outfit. I can work with leather such as the belts. I’ve learned from watching my dad, grandma, and my aunts. As far as beading, my love for beading started in elementary in Jicarilla Class. Geraldine Valdez showed me how to Peyote stitch, she worked at the old Arts and Crafts building. As I got older, I would greet her, I would always tell her she was the reason I love to bead. I fell in love watching my aunt bead on the loom, buckskin, or moccasin. My favorite artwork to do is beadwork and making moccasins whether it be for newborn or the elderly. I always put my moccasins together and my make design match to both sides. I don’t have patterns that I go by, I start freehanded, and my designs fall into place. My least favorite artwork to do is daisy chains because they are simple, it’s not challenging enough for me.

Some taboos I was always told don’t make anything regarding our omens such as bears, owls, snakes. I tried and it did not come out. My brother-in-law belongs to the bear clan in Laguna. He wanted a bear claw mark on an item. I tried making it, for him but it would not come out. omen. What kind of buckskin I work with. I was asked by a healer from Santo Domingo to bead a bear claw. I couldn’t touch it and asked him to get someone else to do it. If I must do something or it is put in a way like a class project, I don’t like doing it because it interferes with the passion.

I couldn’t make baskets when I was pregnant with my first child, I was told by one of the older women I worked with at the time that I couldn’t make baskets. It would interfere with the pregnancy, to this day I have not finished the basket but hope to complete it.

The inspiration for my work is I am making something for someone that will wear it on their clothing, feet, or dancing. The feeling of seeing my work on the dance floor. I have star quilts in Germany, Japan, and Australia. My sewing there is a little piece of me on the other side of the world. My favorite colors are yellow, green, blue, red, and black. I always liked the colors more so when my dad gave me a trade cloth Pendleton blanket, that blanket was given to me on my feast. In Sewing, whatever I make for my daughters or grandkids I don’t use those designs on anyone else’s orders.

I get my motivation from always thinking. If I can look at something or study it, I can make it. I wonder how this would look on a shirt? What some people wouldn’t be able to work with I could. I think out of the box, problem solving various projects people would think is impossible to work with. My ideal work environment is more organized, and I have close to about 75 projects I am working on. When I get bored on one, I start on another. I get bored easy, if I don’t start a project, I won’t complete it.

Is it most definitely important to pass what you know onto the next generation. I have three generations of girls; I would want them to know what I know. I don’t like to be a gatekeeper and love to share my knowledge. I could show you the hard way and I will not lose your interest, so I’ll show you the easy way. Along the way I will show my personal short cuts to the people willing to teach. My advice is don’t feel any question is wrong. There is never a dumb question, always ask, don’t just wonder.

I do teach others what I know about my art. One example is my daughter Keshia, there were so many times sewing I would be sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the night, she would come in. She would sit there for various time periods in all those times, I never asked her to cut anything or help she just watched. When she moved away to Florida that’s where she started cutting material and patterning and putting together the Seminole regalia. When she made her first jingle dress, I felt so proud that she was paying attention at a young age. She can do the Seminole patchwork and she can sew. Both of my girls can create moccasins. I showed my older son how to bead, he mastered quillwork from his Lakota side of his family. My kids will bead with what I don’t like the size 13 or 15 beads.

I used to do small local art shows, that was before I moved here at my own business in Albuquerque. Since I’ve been working at the arts and crafts, I don’t do the art shows. I can’t get an inventory because it sells right away. I have done the state fair and have won some awards. I have gotten three honorable mention awards, two or three third place ribbons, five second place ribbons, and one first place ribbon. I am usually a vendor at the Powwow.

I love being a mom and I love being a grandma. My grandchildren are my focus and inspiration. I like teaching my children and my grandkids. Whatever Keshia wore, my grandkids are wearing it now. The most recent thing, Keshia’s grandma made me cry. She called me and told me she liked Kairo’s, my grandchild’s moccasins. She made me cry when she told me I do beautiful work. I’ve had some people hunt me down like at 11:30 at night to make items. It makes me feel good when the elders tell me they like my work and when they send customers to me. I have some moccasins and beadwork around the community and an international following. My customers come all over the world including Japan and Germany.
Thank you for listening! -Shirene Antone