Frank ‘Chico’ Martinez began
carving when he was twelve, learning from his uncle Luis Garcia. He achieved a
degree of fame, some of his masks hang at the University of Arizona Museum,
carving with very rudimentary tools, three flat chisels, a couple of files, a
rasp, a small hand saw and some sand paper. He painted with ordinary acrylic
paint and when needed, used horse hair. He died young in 2006, leaving his wife
Feliciana with two daughters and two sons. While he lived, Chico sold his masks to tourists and locals for $50.00 and gave them as gifts to the Pascolas. The Wolf Mask is the only mask that Feliciana has that was made by late her husband.
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| Wolf Mask |
Her house in the Old Pascua
Village is modest and houses three generations as she has been raising some of
her grandchildren including Santiago who has taken up the tradition of carving.
Her son Eddie who is also a carver, also lives there.
Feliciana works for the
Tucson Unified Schools as a classroom aide. Hired originally to teach Yoeme
language and culture to children, for reasons unknown to her that assignment ended.
The school still utilizes some of her knowledge but mostly she works with
individual children that need extra help. Although not a carver Feliciana makes
clay figures, depicting Yoeme figures, Deer Dancers, Pascola’s, Fariseos etc
with modeling clay. She says that at one time she used regular clay but her kitchen
oven was deteriorating from the firings.
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| A completed clay deer dancer |
Feliciana, raised by her
grandmother who spoke only her native language was seeped in the history and
traditions of Yoeme and is one of the few who still speak the language. She and
about sixteen others helped compile a Yoeme dictionary and she helps pass on
traditions and culture to children at the school.
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| Feliciana working on a clay deer dancer |
Santiago works with the same rudimentary tools used by his grandfather Chico but the chisels were dull and wanting to give something back I gave him an Arkansas Stone and showed him how to sharpening the chisels. His uncle Eddie who was not home uses the same tools for his carvings. Below is a walking stick that he has recently carved.
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| Santiago 3rd generation carver. His goat mask is the one on the left |
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| Santiago's mask in prgoress |
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| Mask made by Eddie |
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