The Enduring Legacy of
Linda Cain

Chimayo Trading Staff Report | November 2025

Santa Clara Pueblo stands as a bastion of Tewa culture and artistic tradition. Among its most revered artisans is Linda Cain, a potter whose work bridges centuries of indigenous knowledge with contemporary innovation. At 78 years old, Cain continues to shape clay with the same hands that learned the craft from her mother, Mary Cain, and grandmother, Christina Naranjo—two legends in the Pueblo pottery world.

Cain’s journey began in the 1950s, amid the red clay pits that dot the pueblo’s terrain. “My mother would take us out to gather the clay,” Cain recalls from her home studio. “We’d dig with shovels, clean it by hand, and mix it with volcanic ash from the mountains. That’s the secret to our blackware—it’s all natural, no chemicals.” This traditional method, passed down through matrilineal lines, produces the signature deep black pottery for which Santa Clara is famous. Fired in an outdoor kiln using manure and wood, the pieces emerge with a glossy, mirror-like finish that reflects the skill of the maker.

4” x 5”
$650

What sets Cain apart is her fearless experimentation within tradition. While many potters adhere strictly to classic forms like storage jars or wedding vases, Cain incorporates subtle carvings and melons—swollen, ribbed shapes inspired by the pueblo’s agricultural heritage. Her Avanyu imprints, a motif symbolizing the storm bringer connected with lightning, thunderstorms and the guardian of water, adorn many of Cain’s vessels.

5” x 2.5”
$1250

Cain’s work has garnered acclaim beyond the pueblo. She has exhibited at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and won multiple awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market, including Best of Division in 2018 for a polished black jar with feather designs.

5” x 4”
$1200

“I’m not doing this for prizes,” she says. “It’s for my family, for the pueblo, to keep our stories alive.”

5.25” x 2.75”
$550

In recent years, Cain has mentored younger generations, including her daughters and grandchildren, ensuring the craft endures amid modern challenges like climate change affecting clay sources and competition from mass-produced goods.

4.5” x 3.5”
$800

“The young ones have phones and cars,” she laughs, “but when they sit with the clay, they feel the ancestors.”

6” x 3”
$950

Linda Cain’s pottery is more than art—it’s a living testament to resilience. As Pueblo communities navigate cultural preservation in a changing world, artists like Cain remind us that tradition thrives through adaptation.

4.5” x 3”
$950

Her pieces, available through galleries like the Chimayo Trading Del Norte, invite collectors and admirers to touch history, one perfectly formed vessel at a time.

6.25” x 3.5”
$550

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Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

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